PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


Shelf.... 


BX  9479  .P3  B42  1865 
Hildebrand,  1814-1903. 
Life  and  character  of  J 
van  der  Palm  . . 


H. 


■ 


■  I  ■ 


LIFE  AND  CHARACTER 


OP 


J.  H.  VAN  DER  PALM,  D.  D., 

PROFESSOR  OF  ORIENTAL  LANGUAGES  AND  ANTIQUITIES  ; 

ALSO  OF  SACRED  POETRY  AND  ELOQUENCE  IN  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  LEYDEN. 


SKETCHED  BY  NICOLAAS 


iiEETS,  D.D. 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  DUTCH 


By  J.  P.  WESTERVELT. 


NEW  YORK: 

PUBLISHED  BY  HURD  AND   HOUGHTON. 

BOSTON:  E.  P.  DUTTON  AND   COMPANY. 

1865. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1865,  by 

Hurd  and  Houghton", 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Southern  District  of  New 

York. 


RIVERSIDE,    CAMBRIDGE: 

STEREOTYPED    AND    PRINTED    BY 

H.    0.    HOUGHTON   AND    COMPANY. 


CONTENTS. 


FAGS 

Dedication vii 


CHAPTER  I. 

1763-1778. 

Father.  —  Mother.  —  Grandmother.  —  At  the  Erasmian  School. 
Health.  —  General    Favorite.  —  Enters    the  University. 


—  Superior  Preparation 


CHAPTER  II. 

1778-1784. 

University.  —Professors. — H.  A.  Schultens.  —  Testimonial  of 
the  Theological  Faculty.  —  College  Life.  —  Orations.  — 
Friendships. —  Bilderdijk.  —  E.  Kist.  —  Mutual  Improve- 
ment. —  Recreations.  —  Oriental  Studies.  —  Modern  Reading. 
—  Ecclesiastes.  —  Eloquence.  —  Poetic  Talent.  —  Poetic 
Taste 8 

CHAPTER  III. 

1784-1795. 

Licensure  and  Settlement.  —  Marriage.  —  Lingen.  —  Leaves 
Maartensdijk.  —  Refuses  to  Return.  —  Regret  of  Friends.  — 
Subsequent  Visits.  —  Correspondence  with  Schultens.  — 
Lord  van  de  Perre.  —  Call  to  Vlissingen       ....         29 

CHAPTER  IV. 

1795-1806. 

Political  Revolution.  —  Middelburg  Revolution.  —  Retires  from 
Political  Life.  —  Professor  of  Oriental  Languages.  —  Rector 
of  the    University.  —  Eloquence.  —  Minister    of  National 


IV  CONTENTS. 


PAOK 


Education.  —  Member  of  Council  of  Internal  Affairs.  — 
Schimmelpenninck.  —Final  Leave  of  Political  Life.  —Liter- 
ary Labors.  —  Declines  tbe  King's  Proposals.  —  Loyalty       .  45 

CHAPTER   V. 

1800-1838. 

A  Sage.  —  Professor  of  Sacred  Poetry  and  Eloquence.  —  Uni- 
versity Preacher.  —  His  Delivery.  —  Professor  of  Oriental 
Languages  and  Antiquities.  —  In  the  Lecture-room.  —  Out 
of  the  Lecture  -room.  —  Hendrik  Albert.  —  Rector.  —  Resig- 
nation as  Preacher '*> 

CHAPTER  VI. 

1806-1839. 

Great  Vocation.  —  Sermons.  —  Solomon.  —  Commentary  for 
Youth.  —  Historical  and  Rhetorical  Memorial.  —  Translation 
of  the  Bible.  —  Manuscript.  —  Orations  and  Essays.  —  Solo- 
mon. —  Study 

CHAPTER  VH. 

1840. 

Popularity. —  Celebrity. —  Humility. —  In  the  Social  Circle. 
—  Hospitality.  —  Oosterhof.  —  In  the  Domestic  Circle.  — 
Silver  Wedding.  —  Character.  —  Christian  Character.  —  Dy- 
ing Testimony.  —  Death.  —  Funeral 106 


APPENDIX 


88 


Conclusion  of  an  Oration :  De  eo,  etc.            125 

Testimonial  of  the  Theological  Faculty I25 

Professorial  Certificates 12" 

Extract  from  an  Oration :  De  liberali  Theologo         .        •        •  128 

Poetic  Effusion  of  Bilderdijk 129 

Van  der  Palm's  Poetry 130 

Letter  to  M.  C.  van  Hall 13i 


CONTENTS.  V 

PAGE 

Letter  of  Van  der  Palm,  declining  the  Call  to  Vlissingen          .  134 

Acceptance  of  the  Professorship  in  the  University         .        .        .  136 

Extract  from  an  Address  of  the  Agent  of  National  Education  .  137 

Letter  of  Prof.  Van  der  Palm  to  King  Louis         ....  139 
Address  of  Van  der  Palm  to  his  Pupils  after  the  Death  of  his  Son, 

Hendrik  Albert             143 

Prospectus  of  the  Translation  of  the  Bible 144 

Letter  of  Dr.  C  W.  K.  van  Kaathoven 148 

Funeral  Addresses 156 

Likeness 162 

Children  of  J.  H.  van  der  Palm 163 

Memberships 164 

Works 164 

Articles  relative  to  Van  der  Palm 172 


SERMONS. 


SERMON  I. 
The  Gospel  the  Greatest  Treasure.    Matt.  xiii.  44-46  .        .    177 

SERMON  II. 
The  Raising  of  the  Young  Man  at  Nain.    Luke  vii.  11-16    .        .    200 

SERMON  III. 
Complete  Redemption  in  Jesus  Christ.    1  Cor.  i.  30  .        .    222 

SERMON  IV. 
Necessity  of  Divine  Grace  to  change  the  Heart.   John  vi.  44       .    240 

SERMON  V. 
Jesus'  Passion.    John  i.  29 ^    264 

SERMON  VI. 
Jesus,  the  Light  of  the  World.    John  viii.  12        ...  290 

SERMON  VII. 
Love  to  Jesus.    1  Pet.  i.  8 311 


Vi  CONTENTS. 

SERMON  VIII. 

PAGE 

Patriotism,  a  Duty  of  Religion.    Ps.  cxxii 335 

SERMON  IX. 
Devout  Contemplation  of  the  Rainbow.    Ps.  lxxxix.  37       .        .    360 

SERMON  X. 
Acquiescence  in  the  Will  and  Government  of  God.   Ps.  xxxix.  9      382 


TO  THE 

MOST  NOBLE  AND  EQUITABLE  LORD, 

HENMCUS  VAN  ROUEN, 

KNIGHT,    COUNCILLOR    OF    STATE,    ETC. 


Right  Honorable  and  Noble  Sir  :  —  You 
have  here  the  sketch  of  the  life  and  character  of 
a  man,  dear  to  yon  and  to  me,  executed  according 
to  the  best  of  my  ability.  Encouraged  and  assisted 
by  you,  I  have  been  enabled  to  complete  the  work ; 
and  it  is  my  happiness  to  know  that  it  meets  your 
approbation.  To  you  I  dedicate  it  with  a  grateful 
heart,  and  with  the  full  persuasion  that  without 
your  friendly  assistance  I  should  have  been  made 
but  too  sadly  sensible  of  how  great  a  presumption 
I  had  been  guilty  in  lending  an  ear  to  the  friendly 
solicitations  of  those  whose  decided  wish  it  seemed 
to  be  that  I  should  do  myself  the  honor  of  appear- 
ing as  biographer  of  Van  der  Palm.  The  difficul- 
ties connected  with  such  an  undertaking  were  con- 
siderable, and  the  responsibility  was  great ;  but  a 
voice  within  pleaded  in  behalf  of  the  friendly  in- 
vitations which  I  had  received ;  and  the  task  had 
for  me  too  many  attractions  to  permit  me  to  decline 


Vlll  DEDICATION. 

it  because  of  its  difficulty.  Yet  I  should  not  for 
a  moment  have  thought  of  assuming  it,  had  a 
work  been  demanded  of  me  in  which  I  should  be 
expected  to  give  an  estimate  of  the  merits  of  the 
deceased  as  a  scholar,  an  orator,  and  a  writer ; 
if  anything,  indeed,  had  been  desired  of  me,  that 
would  necessarily  resemble  a  eulogy.  But  to  write 
a  simple,  unadorned  narrative  of  the  occurrences 
and  vicissitudes  of  his  long  and  important  life  ;  to 
compose  from  hia  numerous  papers  an  account  of 
what  he  aimed  at  and  afc.iiipli-.ln-d  during  tli 
different  periods  :  and  to  impart  life  to  the  whole 
by  giving  as  visible  a  representation  as  possible  of 
his  image,  as  it  appeared  to  me,  who  had  stood  in 
so  intimate  relation  to  him,  and  who  for  Bix  years 
had  enjoyed  the  opportunity  of  so  closely  observ- 
ing him:  this  I  regarded  as  not  altogether  abo 
and  bevond  the  reach  of  my  youthful  powers. 

In  addition  to  the  still  very  vivid  recollection  of 
all  that  I  had  heard  from  the  mouth  of  the  deceased 
himself,  and  a  great  multitude  of  his  letters  and 
private  papers,  I  enjoyed  the  invaluable  privilege  of 
continuing  to  be  as  it  were  Burrounded  by  his  dear- 
est relatives,  wdio  wrere  not  only  able  to  give  me 
all  the  information  that  I  might  desire  concerning 
many  facts  and  circumstances,  but  to  the  test  of 
whose  judgment  I  could  submit  all  my  views  re- 
specting the  character  which  I  undertook  to  sketch. 


DEDICATION.  ix 

And  among  these  I  am  greatly  indebted  to  the 
amiable  and  gifted  woman  whom  to  call  my  mother- 
in-law  I  as  truly  esteem  an  honor  as  I  do  to  have 
been  a  friend  and  favorite  of  Van  der  Palm:  a 
woman,  who  not  only  so  well  knew  and  penetrated 
her  illustrious  father,  but  in  whose  excellent  spirit 
so  very  much  of  his  is  mirrored,  and  the  features 
of  whose  countenance  make  you  involuntarily  think 
of  his  ;  so  that  Van  der  Palm  cannot  be  said  to 
have  entirely  died,  so  long  as  this  his  daughter  lives. 
And  what  neither  she,  nor  any  of  his  children  could 
communicate,  as  pertaining  to  earlier  times,  or  too 
far  removed  from  the  domestic  circle,  for  that  I 
might  certainly  to  some  extent  depend  on  the.  kind- 
ness of  the  few  oldest  friends  of  the  deceased,  who, 
by  the  good  pleasure  of  the  Lord,  were  permitted 
to  survive  him.  Among  these,  Most  Noble  Lord, 
you  were  the  first.  It  was  not  unknown  to  me,  that, 
on  the  16th  of  September,  1828,  when  as  yet  I  knew 
only  the  great  name  and  excellent  writings  of  the 
peerless  man,  you  were  permitted  to  celebrate  with 
him  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  day  on  which  you 
first  met  each  other  at  Valckenaar's  lecture,  to  form 
a  friendship,  cordial,  sincere,  and  confidential,  —  a 
friendship,  which,  through  all  the  vicissitudes  of 
events,  has  remained  the  same,  because  it  was  as 
incapable  of  becoming  more  intimate  as  of  being 
impaired.     For  ten  successive  years  that  affecting 


X  DEDICATION. 

festival  was  repeated  ;  in  the  eleventh  the  indica- 
tions of  that  which,  alas  !  was  a  year  later  to  occur, 
were  too  decisive  to  permit  any  thought  of  such  a 
celebration  to  be  entertained.  And  when  of  the 
twelfth  the  16th  of  September  dawned,  your  old 
faithful  friend  and  fellow-traveller  through  this 
world  had  been  already  eight  days  numbered  with 
the  precious  dead  whom  you  lament.  To  you  he 
had  said,  "  I  go  hence  in  peace ;  "  and  your  reply 
had  been,  "  Go,  Palm  I  go  in  peace."  Such  had 
been  the  will  of  the  Lord.  With  meat  confidence 
I  applied  to  you.  A  bosom  friend  of  Van  der  Palm 
could  not  be  a  stranger  to  his  benevolence  ;  and  an 
offering  of  some  pains  and  labor  would  be  gladly 
made  by  an  intimate  friend  to  the  shade  of  Van  der 
Palm.  But  you  were  not  only  his  bosom  friend. 
You  were  Henricus  van  Roijen,  of  whose  readiness 
to  assist  no  one  doubts  who  is  at  all  acquainted 
with  him.  And  if  that  which  I  was  obliged  to  ask 
of  you  seemed  a  laborious  task  for  a  man  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-one,  even  at  that  venerable 
period  of  life  you  were  still  as  ever  "  the  vigorous 
Van  Roijen,"  as  your  friend  Van  der  Palm  was  for 
twenty  years  accustomed  to  designate  you.  But 
your  kindness  surpassed  my  highest  expectations. 
Not  only  did  you  manifest  an  entire  willingness  to 
remove  as  far  as  possible  all  difficulties  pertaining 
to  earlier    periods  with  which  I  might  meet,  but 


DEDICATION.  XI 

you  took  the  pains  to  prepare  for  me  a  connected 
review  of  those  periods  :  a  review  which  shed  light 
upon  the  numerous  papers  at  my  service,  and  which 
I  could  make  the  foundation  of  the  first  pages  of 
my  work  ;  a  review,  bearing  evidence  of  a  clearness 
of  intellect  and  an  accuracy  of  memory  which  put 
my  youth  to  shame.  But  this  is  not  all  for  which 
I  am  indebted  to  you.  It  was  you,  who,  from  the 
beginning  and  during  all  the  time  that  I,  in  the 
midst  of  manifold  and  important  employments  of 
my  enviable  office,  have  been  engaged  in  this 
pleasant  task,  strengthened  me  by  your  kindness, 
and  whose  continual  encouragements  were  to  me 
a  counterpoise  against  the  depressing  thoughts,  oc- 
casioned partly  by  the  importance  of  the  undertak- 
ing, and  partly  by  the  expectations  entertained  by 
so  many  cultivated  minds.  For  this  much  love  and 
gratitude  are  due  you,  though  I  know  that  you  will 
hardly  permit  yourself  to  think  that  you  have  laid 
me  under  such  obligations. 

With  my  obligations  to  the  Rev.  Teissedre  l'Ange, 
you  are  acquainted.  Next  to  yours,  the  services 
of  this  excellent  friend  of  the  deceased  were  the 
most  important.  You  can  perceive  of  how  great 
advantage  to  me  must  have  been  his  short,  clear, 
pithy  communications  and  friendly  suggestions. 
Happy  should  I  be,  if  that  which  in  these  pages  is 
exclusively  mine  more  nearly  answered  to  the  as- 


xii  DEDICATION. 

sistance  which  I  have  received.  Yet  whatever  may- 
be the  defects  of  my  work,  I  have  your  assurance 
that  your  great,  your  amiable  friend,  whose  image 
is  so  vividly  impressed  on  your  heart,  has  been 
drawn  to  the  life.  Accept,  then,  the  portraiture 
which  the  youngest  friend  of  Van  der  Palm  presents 
to  his  oldest.  May  the  Lord,  during  all  the  time 
allotted  you  to  survive  him,  crown  you  with  his 
richest  blessings,  and  grant  you  through  his  grace  a 
blissful  reunion. 

With  sentiments  of  the  highest  esteem,  I  am, 
Right  Honorable  and  Noble  Sir, 

Your  obedient  servant  and  friend, 
Nicolaas  Beets. 

Heemstede,  Dec.  8, 1841. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  man  whose  life  and  character  we  undertake 
to  sketch,  was  born  in  Rotterdam,  the  17th  of  July, 
1763.  His  father,  Cornelis x  van  der  Palm,  kept 
there,  and  afterwards  at  Delfthaven,  a  very  flourish- 
ing and  respectable  Dutch  and  French  boarding- 
school.2  He  was  a  man  of  virtue,  intelligence,  and 
refinement,  possessed  of  much  ability  and  learning ; 
for  his  time,  a  very  accomplished  linguist,  and  not  an 
unsuccessful  poet.  As  such,  he  obtained,  in  those 
days  of  poetic  societies,  several  coronations.  He 
was  himself  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Rotterdam 
Society,  having  for  its  motto,  Studium  scientiarum 
genetrix,  of  which  his  son  was  made  a  member  at 
the  age  of  seventeen,  and  six  years  after  an  honorary 
member.  Van  der  Palm  always  spoke  of  his  father, 
not  only  with  the  highest  respect,  but  also  with  the 
greatest  delight.  His  image  was  constantly  before 
his  mind,  when,  as  Superintendent  of  Education,  he 

1  He  was  very  much  inclined  to  write  Kornelis. 

2  When  by  euphemism  mention  was  sometimes  made  to  him  of  his 
father's  "  Institute,"  the  humble  man,  who  was  never  ashamed  of  his 
plebeian  descent,  used  by  way  of  correction  to  reply,  "  It  was  then 
called  a  school." 

1 


2  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

laid  the  foundation  of  the  improved  school  system  ; 
and  what  he  had  seen  in  his  father's  school  he  was 
accustomed  to  commend  to  the  school  inspectors  as 
worthy  of  imitation.1  To  the  last  of  his  life  he  fre- 
quently indulged  with  evident  satisfaction  in  remi- 
niscences and  accounts  respecting  him;  on  which 
occasions  it  always  appeared  that  his  father  had 
been  a  very  cheerful  and  social  man,  full  of  natural 
humor  and  sprightly  repartee,  whose  society,  being 
very  agreeable,  was  sought  by  his  friends ;  and  that 
in  these  respects  also  he  had  exercised  the  greatest 
influence  in  forming  his  son,  who  resembled  him  in 
several  respects,  especially  in  external  appearance 
and  bodily  frame. 

The  name  of  Van  der  Palm's  mother  was  Mach- 
teld  van  Tonsbergen.  She  was,  as  the  name  indi- 
cates, of  an  honorable  family,  and  numbered  among 
her  actual  ancestors  a  Knight  of  Malta,  who  had 
released  himself  from  his  vow.  She  was  a  genuine 
specimen  of  the  Dutch  female  character  of  the  olden 
style  :  domestic,  active,  very  pious.  She  survived 
her  husband  several  years,  and  ended  her  days  un- 
der the  roof  of  her  son  Johannes  Henricus,  after 
having  outlived  many  of  her  children.2  With  pecu- 
liar tenderness  and  no  little  maternal  pride  did  she 
love  this  her  eminent  son  ;  and  such  was  his  tender 
regard  for  her,  that  with  this  worthy  woman  the 

1  See  this  particular  in  the  article  of  Prof.  J.  Kops,  Messenger  of 
Arts  and  Literature,  1841,  No.  31. 

2  Van  der  Palm  had  six  brothers  and  one  sister,  (married  to  a  Mr. 
Shernikau,)  who  all  preceded  him  to  the  grave.  One  of  them,  Chris- 
tian van  der  Palm,)  was  a  physician,  and  died  in  Middelburg,  where 
he  was  highly  esteemed  for  his  skill,  shrewdness,  and  experience. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  3 

recollection  of  her  motherly  cares  had  entirely  given 
place  to  thankfulness  for  his  filial  fidelity,  and  the 
mother  died  in  the  full  conviction  of  being  in  all 
respects  under  obligations  to  the  son ;  which  sense 
of  gratitude  she  expressed  with  very  touching  sim- 
plicity in  her  last  will,  whilst  commending  her  chil- 
dren to  the  grace  of  God. 

To  the  friendly  images  of  his  childhood,  around 
which  his  thoughts  fondly  lingered,  belonged  that 
of  a  grandmother,  whom  he  always  represented  as 
a  very  clever,  well-read  woman,  pious,  and  well 
versed  in  the  Word  of  God,  whose  special  favorite 
he  was,  and  who  taught  him  upon  her  knee  to  read 
well  before  he  was  three  years  old,  and  made  him 
familiar  with  sacred  history  and  many  a  spiritual 
song.  She  lived  entirely  in  the  Bible,  and  took 
great  pleasure,  according  to  the  taste  of  that  time, 
in  applying  whatever  was  biblical  to  the  occurrences 
of  daily  life. 

Even  before  the  birth  of  this  grandson,  she  had 
desired  to  have  him  called  Naphtali,  for,  said  she, 
he  will  give  goodly  words  (Gen.  xlix.  21).  His 
parents  had  thought  otherwise  ;  and  when  four  days 
old,  (according  to  the  custom  of  that  time,  which 
allowed  no  Sabbath  to  pass  by,)  he  was  baptized, 
and  named  Johannes  Henricus.  Grandmother's 
prediction  was,  however,  abundantly  confirmed,  — 
"  although,"  Van  der  Palm  used  to  say,  "  the  trans- 
lation will  not  hold."  After  having  been  sufficiently 
instructed  in  his  father's  school,  he  exchanged  that 
at  the  age  of  ten  for  the  Erasmian,  of  which  Jaco- 
bus Henricus  Dreux  was  at  that  time  Rector.    There 


4  LIFE   OF  VAX  DER  PALM. 

he  made  very  rapid  progress,  and  quickly  outstripped 
all  his  schoolmates  :    as  may  also  appear  from  the 
costly  and  always  first  prizes   which  he  received. 
The    accompanying   testimonials    he  carefully  pre- 
served through  life,  together  with  two  school  ora- 
tions    delivered  by  him,  which  I  deem  worthy  of 
mention.     The  one  is,  "In  Laudem  Diligentia?  et 
Yituperium  Ignaviae  "  (In  Praise  of  Diligence  and 
Reproof  of  Idleness)  ;  the  other,  "  De  eo  quod  optan- 
dum  est  ex  sententia  Juvenalis ;  sive  de  Sana  Mente 
in  Corpore  Sano  "  (On  that  which  according  to  Ju- 
venal is  desirable  :  a  Sound  Mind  in  a  Sound  Body). 
As  to  the  first  subject,  out  of  the  abundance  of 
his  heart  the  boy  could  have  uttered  nothing  upon 
which  the  laborious  man  did  not  each  day  of  his 
life  set  his  seal ;  and  in  the  choice  of  the  other,  we 
see  that  a  favorite  idea  of  his  entire  life  was  already 
entertained  at  that  early  age.    Health  was,  with  Van 
der  Palm,  always  the  most  welcome  emblem  of  all 
that  was  good,  and  in  human  sense  perfect,  —  of  the 
normal  condition  of  a  noble  soul  and  a  clear  head. 
Health  was  the  name  which  he  preferred  to  give  to 
that  beautiful  proportion  and  harmony  between  all 
the  endowments  of  the  intellect  and  the  heart  which 
should    appear   in  conduct,  discourse,  and  writing. 
And  what  he,  with  Juvenal,  desired,  when  he  was 
but  a  youth,  he  possessed  in  the  largest  measure 
during  his  whole  life.     An  active,  well-built,  and 
vigorous  man,  he  lived  more  than  seventy  years  in 
the  enjoyment  of  excellent  health  ;  and  the  long- 
continued  sufferings  of  the  last  year  of  his  life  are 
to  be  ascribed  rather  to  the  prolonged  resistance  of 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  5 

his  system,  than  to  its  gradual  enervation  or  its  con- 
stant discomposure  in  the  course  of  his  life.  Very 
seldom  indeed  was  he  discomposed ;  never  did  the 
most  arduous  labor  fatigue  him.  And  that  regular, 
unrestrained  harmony,  subsisting  between  the  organs 
of  his  body,  which  was  so  very  seldom  marred, 
that  uninterrupted  equality,  clearness,  and  compos- 
ure of  his  system,  were  beautifully  and  charmingly 
expressed  in  his  equal,  clear,  and  tranquil  disposi- 
tion ;  in  that  gentle  evenness  which  so  very  rarely 
forsook  him ;  in  that  exemplary  tranquillity  which 
even  in  the  severest  trials  of  his  life  either  remained 
unimpaired  or  was  speedily  and  at  once  restored 
after  a  momentary  shock  ;  —  all  these  properties  of 
mind  and  body  were  clearly  and  strikingly  mirrored 
forth  in  the  ease  with  which  he  began,  prosecuted, 
and  completed  his  labor,  and  no  less  in  the  fruits  of 
the  same  ;  in  the  perspicuity,  regularity,  freshness, 
and  all  the  harmony  of  his  writings,  in  which  we 
admire  so  much  energy  without  exertion,  which 
may  be  regarded  as  the  proper  character  of  health.1 
However  difficult  it  may  be  for  a  ready,  docile 
boy,  excelling  all  his  companions,  and  therefore  likely 
to  be  put  forward  by  all  his  teachers,  to  be  agree- 
able to  his  schoolfellows  and  continue  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  their  love,  Van  der  Palm  was  and  continued 
so  in  the  highest  degree.  And  at  this  no  one  will 
be  astonished,  of  all  who  knew  him  at  whatever 
period  of  his  life,  and  even  when  enjoying  the  high- 
est position  to  which  he  attained.  For  not  only  did 
Van  der  Palm  soften  the  lustre  of  his  manifold  gifts 

1  The  conclusion  of  the  oration,  De  eo,  etc.,  is  given  in  the  Appendix. 


6  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

by  an  amiable  humility ;  he  had  more  than  this. 
To  him  belonged  in  the  highest  degree  an  innate 
sense  of  delicacy,  which  never  permitted  him  in  any 
way  to  set  his  eminent  advantages  over  against  those 
of  others,  whoever  they  might  be,  and  by  which  he 
not  only  knew  how  to  adjust  all  inequality  between 
himself  and  his  inferiors,  but  even  to  efface  the  idea 
of  it  from  their  minds.  And  this  was  blended  with 
such  a  natural  simplicity  in  all  his  manners  and 
words,  that  it  was  impossible  not  to  forget  his  great- 
ness in  presence  of  his  amiableness.  It  was  thus, 
and  by  honoring  in  every  one  with  the  greatest  open- 
heartedness  that  which  was  relatively  good  and 
excellent,  that  he  maintained  himself  in  just  that 
superiority  which  in  another  character  and  with  a 
different  tone  —  such  is  the  weakness  of  the  human 
heart  —  would  not  perhaps  have  been  willingly  en- 
dured. 

Having  already  in  his  fifteenth  year  completed  his 
course  in  the  Erasmian  School,  Van  der  Palm  was 
received  into  the  University  under  highly  raised  ex- 
pectation and  with  extraordinary  praise.  To  this  re- 
sult his  intelligent  and  far-seeing  father  had  directed 
his  entire  education.  Far  from  laying  him  under 
stricter  bonds  than  were  necessary,  and  which,  when 
once  and  suddenlv  relaxed,  so  often  draw  after  them 
the  saddest  consequences,  he  had,  however,  guided 
and  prepared  him  entirely  under  his  own  eye. 
Though  he  was  already  established  at  Delfthaven, 
when  his  son  attended  school  in  Rotterdam,  the 
proximity  of  the  two  cities  permitted  the  latter  to 
return  between  school-hours  to  the   parental  roof. 


LIFE  OF  VAST  DER  PALM.  7 

During  all  this  time,  friends  of  his  father  were  not 
wanting  who  interested  themselves  in  his  welfare. 
Among  these  were  two  ministers,  Porjeere,1  poet- 
laureate  of  that  time,  and  Bussingh,  a  very  worthy, 
well-read,  and  universally  beloved  man,  with  whose 
son  Van  der  Palm  attended  school,  and  whose  daugh- 
ter he  subsequently  married.  Respecting  this  min- 
ister2 of  the  gospel,  I  find,  after  the  first  of  the 
above  -  mentioned  school  orations,  certain  Latin 
verses,  which  clearly  evince  that  he  was  greatly 
pleased  with  both  father  and  son.  Van  der  Palm 
was,  moreover,  from  his  earliest  youth,  a  favorite 
with  Mr.  Persoons,  a  grave  and  intelligent  man, 
merchant  and  manufacturer  at  Delfthaven,  to  whose 
house  he,  in  company  with  his  father,  frequently  re- 
sorted. Especially  was  this  the  case  with  respect  to 
the  physician  Servaas,  a  literary  man,  possessing  a 
cultivated  and  philosophic  mind,  from  whom  Van 
der  Palm  ever  testified  that  he  had  learned  much, 
to  whom  he  felt  himself  greatly  indebted,  and  for 
whom  he  entertained  a  high  regard.  These  literary 
men  he  was  accustomed  to  see  frequently,  and  to  visit 
during  his  summer  vacations,  which  he  always  spent 
at  Delfthaven.  This  intercourse  with  men  of  diver- 
sified character  contributed  much  to  his  early  train- 
ing, and  to  that  superior  preparation  with  which,  in 
spite  of  his  extreme  youth,  he  entered  upon  his  col- 
legiate course,  and  by  means  of  which  he  so  quickly 

1  Olivier  Porjeere,  afterwards  called  to  Alkmaar, 

2  Jan  Willem  Bussingh.  He  died  in  the  year  1782.  A  collection 
of  poems  on  occasion  of  his  death  is  still  extant,  in  which  is  one  from. 
Kornelis  van  der  Palm,  and  another  from  J.  H.  van  der  Falm.  In  the 
latter  are  several  clever  lines. 


8  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

attracted  the  attention  of  many,  among  whom  were 
not  a  few  of  the  Professors.  The  government  of 
Rotterdam  conferred  on  him  a  place  in  the  Theo- 
logical and  Literary  States-College,  a  regulation  for 
the  benefit  of  students  not  possessing  ample  means, 
but  worthy  of  distinction  ;  and  he  repaired  to  Ley- 
den  towards  the  close  of  the  long  vacation  in  the 
year  1778,  only  fifteen  years  old,  but  as  to  mind  and 
body  far  in  advance  of  his  age,  (he  had  nearly  at- 
tained his  full  growth,)  and  filled  with  a  noble  zeal. 
On  the  16th  of  September,  he  began  his  University 
course  by  listening  to  the  great  Valckenaar,  on 
Luke's  second  book,  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 


CHAPTER  II. 

The  years  spent  by  Van  der  Palm  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Leyden  fell  in  one  of  the  most  flourishing 
periods  of  that  institution.     Three  years  before  his 
matriculation,  the  bi-centenary  of  its  existence  had 
been  magnificently  celebrated.     The  recollection  of 
its  foundation  and  princely  founder,  joined  to  the 
remembrance    of   the    ancient   famous    occurrences 
which  gave  rise  to  its  establishment ;  the  rapid  but 
deliberate  review  of  its  history,  which  brought  be- 
fore the  mind  such  an  extensive  and  estimable  series 
of  great  men  as  had  ever  been  its  ornaments  ;  —  all 
this  gave  a  new  stimulus  to  resort  to  this  seat  of 
learning.     The  professorial  chairs  were  filled  by  the 
most  celebrated  men  in  all  departments  of  knowl- 
edge and  science.     Besides  not  a  few  English,  the 
concourse   of  Netherland  youth  was    greater    than 
ever  ;  and   of  these   were  formed  in  that  period  a 
great  multitude  of  men  who  were  destined  to  be- 
come eminent  in  every  branch  of  learning  and  lit- 
erature, and  to  be  in  different  relations  ornaments  to 
Church  and  State.     Among  these,  without  contra- 
diction of  any,  Van  der  Palm  was  to  occupy  a  most 
prominent  position  ;  and  of  this  his  first  instructors, 
Valckenaar,  Ruhnkenius,  Van  de  Wijnpersse,   and 
especially  Hendrik  Albert  Schultens,  were  quickly 


10  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

convinced.  To  the  instruction  of  these  lights,  which 
he  improved  with  the  greatest  conscientiousness  and 
with  the  most  ardent  zeal,  was  soon  added  that  of 
Pestel,  to  whose  lectures  on  the  fundamenta  juris- 
prudentice  naturalis  he  attached  great  importance ; 
so  much  so  as  to  take  an  active  part  in  the  public 
defences,  made  in  the  presence  of  this  professor,  of 
theses  drawn  from  that  department,  in  which  the 
shrewdness  of  his  questions,  and  the  appropriateness 
of  his  answers,  given  in  pure  and  flowing  Latin, 
attracted  the  attention  of  all.  In  theology  he 
afterwards  heard  Hollebeek,  the  reformer  of  the 
Netherland  style  of  preaching,  Gillissen,  Scholten, 
Boers,  and  Rietveld  ;  to  the  lectures  of  the  last 
mentioned  he  seems  to  have  applied  himself  with 
special  diligence.  He  did  not,  in  the  course  of  his 
studies,  actually  make  choice  of  any  theological 
party,  though  he  seems  to  have  inclined  towards 
the  Leyden  Cocceian.1 

Of  all  these  instructors  none  certainly  was  dearer 
to  him  than  the  great,  the  amiable  Schultens,  the 
concise  delineation  of  whose  character,  by  the  excel- 
lent Wijttenbach,  I  cannot  refrain  from  inserting 
here,  as  of  the  man  who  exerted  so  extraordinary 

1  This  appeared  when,  in  1791,  it  was  in  contemplation  to  call  him  to 
Kissingen,  where  at  that  time  of  the  five  preachers,  two  Voetian,  two 
Cocceian,  and  one  Lampiau  were  required.  One  of  the  Cocceian  pul- 
pits was  vacant,  and  Prof.  Broerius  Broes  wrote,  in  reply  to  inquiries 
made  respecting  Van  der  Palm,  the  following:  "As  respects  party  or 
fraternity  I  have  every  reason  to  think  that  he  belongs  to  the  Leyden 
Cocceian,  and  I  know  that  he  devoted  special  attention  to  the  lec- 
tures of  the  blessed  Rietveld."  See  in  the  Appendix  a  small  frag- 
ment of  a  short  discourse  delivered  by  him  when  a  student  before 
the  University. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  H 

an  influence  in  forming  Van  der  Palm,  and  that  not 
merely  in  the  scientific.  "  Schultens  had  received 
from  nature  the  rare  gift  of  appearing  to  be  what 
he  really  was.  Uprightness  of  heart,  greatness  of 
mind,  and  benevolence  were  expressed  in  his  coun- 
tenance ;  yea,  all  that  is  praiseworthy.  His  bear- 
ing, gestures,  movements,  were  most  graceful.  Add 
to  this  the  finest  perception  of  the  beautiful  and  the 
true,  an  uncommon  familiarity  and  affability,  and 
the  greatest  agreeableness  of  speech  and  expression ; 
and  all  this  entirely  natural,  without  the  least  affec- 
tation. Few  therefore  were,  whether  teaching  or 
speaking,  listened  to  with  greater  pleasure,  or  with 
greater  confidence  in  their  ability ;  and  few  there 
were  whose  society  and  intercourse  were  more 
sought  in  social  fife."  1 

Thev  who  have  known  Van  der  Palm,  know  that 
in  him  most  of  the  lineaments  of  this  portraiture 
were  reproduced.  Schultens  was  indeed  not  only 
his  favorite  instructor,  who  imbued  him  with  that 
genuine  taste  for  Oriental  languages  and  literature 
which  was  so  peculiar  to  him,  but  he  was  also  the 

1  "  Raro  quodam  naturae  munere,  siraul  habebat  utrumque  illud 
elvac  kcic  donelv.  In  vultu  et  oculis  expressa  erat  animi  probitas,  niag- 
donitu,  benevolentia,  et  nullius  non  virtutis  significatio :  habitus,  ges- 
tus,  motus,  plurimum  habebat  decoris.  Accedebat  acerrimus  pulchri 
verique  sensus,  mira  comitas  et  affabilitas,  nee  minor  sermonis  orisque 
commendatio ;  omnia  a  natura  tributa,  nil  studio  qusesituni.  Igitur 
pauci  fuerunt,  qui  vel  docentes,  vel  dicentes,  majore  cum  voluptate  et 
facultatis  opinione  audirentur :  pauci  quorum  privatim  sodalitas  et  con- 
suetudo  vulgo  magis  expeteretur."  —  Wyttenbachius  in  vita  Ruhnkenii, 
p.  208,  and  in  the  edition  of  Bergmanni,  p.  237.  Most  worthy  of  pe- 
rusal is  the  admirable  eulogy  on  H.  A.  Schultens  by  Jacobus  Kante- 
laar,  —  a  discourse,  many  a  page  of  which  can  be  entirely  applied  to 
Van  der  Palm,  and  many  a  page  of  which  Van  der  Palm  would  not 
have  been  ashamed  to  have  written  himself. 


12  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

man  after  whom  he  entirely  formed  himself;  the 
man  to  whom  he  was  indebted  for  that  hi^h  refine- 
ment 1  by  which  he  was  so  peculiarly  distinguished ; 
the  man  whom  he  proposed  to  himself  as  his  model 
in  all  things,  and  whose  entire  being  he  endeavored 
to  express  in  his  own,  when  he  was  afterwards  called 
to  fill  the  same  professorial  chair  himself. 

The  imao-e  of  Schultens  lived  in  his  heart  durino- 
the  whole  of  his  I0112;  life.  His  name  sounds  through 
all  his  writings;  he  denominates  it  a  name  "which 
humanity  in  its  highest  nobility  claims  as  its  own."2 
After  Schultens  he  named  one  of  his  sons ;  and  of 
Schultens  he  spoke,  as  long  as  his  strength  permitted 
him  to  speak  of  any  one,  and  his  spirit  roamed 
through  the  past.  How  high  this  man  placed  the 
youthful  Van  der  Palm  we  can  easily  conceive,  if 
we  can  represent  to  ourselves  how  agreeable  it  is 
to  exercise  influence  over  a  gifted  youth,  to  infuse 
our  spirit  into  a  susceptible  breast,  and  to  see  our 
youth  renewed  as  it  were  in  another.  He  was  the 
apple  of  his  eye,  his  glory,  his  hope.  He  saw  him 
daily  at  his  own  house,  and  saw  no  one  more  gladly  ; 
and  when,  after  five  years'  instruction  and  inter- 
course, he  parted  with  his  beloved  pupil,  his  eye  fol- 
lowed him  in  his  course,  and  up  to  his  death  he 
cherished  him  in  his  heart.3 

I  have  before  me,  in  their  own  handwriting,  the 

1  "  We  went  together  to  the  beloved  house  of  our  great  and  never- 
to-be-forgotten  Schultens,  to  gather  up  lessons  on  the  knowledge  of  the 
world,  and  on  polite  intercourse."  —  Dedication  of  the  second  volume  of 
his  sermons  to  E.  Kist. 

2  "Discourse  in  Commemoration  of  College  Life,"  Essays,  Discourses, 
and  Scattered  Writings,  vol.  iv. 

3  Schultens  died  Aug.  12th,  1793. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  13 

testimonials  given  to  Van  cler  Palm  when  leaving 
the  institution,  by  most  of  the  Professors  from 
whom  he  had,  during  his  curriculum,  received  in- 
struction,—  by  Schultens,  by  Valckenaar,  by  Ruhn- 
kenius,  by  Van  der  Wijnpersse,  and  by  the  combined 
theological  faculty. 

They  vie  with  one  another  to  find  terms  by  which 
to  express  the  praise  due,  according  to  their  unani- 
mous judgment,  to  this  excellent  youth.  "  It  does 
not  often  happen,"  — this  testimony  is  given  by  the 
faculty,  —  "  that  we  send  forth  from  our  seminary 
youth  so  thoroughly  versed  in  all  polite  literature 
as  Johannes  Henricus  van  der  Palm,  and  who  in 
addition  to  this  have  made  such  important  advances 
in  sacred  learning.  The  eminent  gifts  allotted  him 
by  the  Almighty  have  been,  during  the  course  of 
his  studies,  improved  by  him  with  the  greatest  zeal. 
All  the  instructors  in  this  institution  whose  lectures 
he  has  attended  (and  he  has  neglected  none  that  it 
was  his  duty  to  attend)  have  furnished  him  with 
very  honorable  testimonials.  So  far  as  it  concerns 
us,  he  so  greatly  excelled  among  our  hearers,  that 
neither  in  the  answering  of  our  questions,  nor  in 
disputation,  nor  in  preaching,  did  any  surpass  him. 
And  as  all  these  excellences  have  been  graced  by  a 
consistent  deportment,  we  the  more  strongly  com- 
mend this  excellent  youth,  who  seems  to  have  already 
carried  the  matter  so  far  as  to  surpass  his  most  for- 
midable rival,  —  the  high  expectations  entertained 
of  him  by  others."  * 

In  this  learned  youth,  as  is  apparent  from  this 
1  See  the  Latin  testimonial  entire  in  the  Appendix. 


14  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

testimony,  purity  of  morals  was  sweetly  blended 
with  eminent  endowments.  "  Of  his  collegiate 
life,"  writes  a  contemporary,  to  whom  we  are 
chiefly  indebted  for  communications  relating  to  this 
early  period,  "  it  can  in  general  and  with  truth  be 
said,  that  during  it  he  exhibited  a  consistent  whole 
of  rare  qualities,  eminent  zeal,  agreeable  intercourse, 
virtuous  conduct,  and  a  character  by  which  he  won 
the  hearts  of  all  who  enjoyed  his  acquaintance  and 
society.  At  the  same  time,  he  gave  evidences  of 
those  gifts  and  powers  of  mind  which  by  constant 
culture  were  carried  to  so  great  perfection,  and 
which  enabled  him,  even  to  old  age,  to  maintain  the 
high  position  attained  by  him  when  in  the  full  ma- 
turity of  his  powers.  But  what  shall  I  say  more 
of  his  collegiate  life?  I  cannot  do  better  than  to 
refer  to  his  well-known  anniversary  oration  in  com- 
memoration of  college  life,1  in  which,  in  language 
well  chosen  and  worthy  of  himself,  he  has  delin- 
eated that  life,  as  it  should  be,  and  as  it  is  in  the 
case  of  virtuous  and  noble-minded  youth.  It  is  only 
necessary  to  substitute,  in  place  of  the  general  appel- 
lation, the  name  of  the  orator ;  for  such  was  the  life 
which  he  spent  at  the  University."  And,  without 
doubt,  whoever  reads  this  discourse  with  any  knowl- 
edge of  human  nature  cannot  fail  to  recognize  in  it 
the  fruit  of  a  calm  recollection  of  a  happy  period,  en- 
joyed to  its  full  extent,  —  a  recollection,  not  marred 
by  accusations  of  conscience,  because  of  the  neglect 
of  any  duty.  An  equally  great  orator,  but  whose 
past  had  not  been  so  clear  and  pleasant,  would  per- 

1  Essays,  Orations,  and  Scattered  Writings,  vol.  iv. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  15 

haps  have  attempted  to  give  a  more  glowing  descrip- 
tion of  college  life  than  he  had  himself  enjoyed; 
but  it  would  probably  betray  signs  of  being  over- 
drawn, and  it  would  certainly  lack  many  small 
strokes  and  touches  which  can  proceed  only  from 
the  heart,  and  which  set  the  seal  of  artless  truth 
upon  that  of  Van  der  Palm.  And  what  can  be  said 
of  this  oration  is  equally  applicable  to  all  his  others. 
The  secret  of  their  perspicuity,  naturalness,  and 
completeness  lies  in  this,  that  the  author  always 
found  in  himself  the  fruitful  source  of  his  represen- 
tations, and  so  always  stood  upon  ground  with 
which  he  was,  comparatively  speaking,  •  perfectly 
acquainted,  and  upon  which  he  felt  himself  at  home. 
Certainly,  of  all  who  were  present  at  that  festal 
commemoration,  there  was  no  one  better  fitted,  or 
to  whom  it  more  properly  belonged,  to  guide  the 
current  of  thought  and  feeling  ;  no  one  who  could 
do  it  with  a  more  tranquil  mind  and  a  more  cheer- 
ful self-consciousness  ;  no  one  to  whom  with  united 
voice  this  task  would  be  more  cheerfully  assigned, 
than  to  a  man  to  whom  already  at  the  University 
his  contemporaries  were  pointed  as  to  a  model,  and 
who  had  completely  maintained,  with  successive 
generations,  the  good  name  acquired  by  him  as  a 
student. 

Manifold  were  the  relations  of  friendship  formed 
by  Van  der  Palm  at  the  University.  At  that  time 
the  different  faculties  were  intimately  connected 
with  one  another,  and  hence  the  mutual  intercourse 
was  very  lively  and  important.  This  was  the  nat- 
ural consequence  of  the  great  number  of  eminent 


16  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

youth  which  each  department  of  science  numbered 
amoncr  its  cultivators.  These  ever  sought  one  an- 
other  with  all  the  attractive  force  which  extraordi- 
nary intellects  usually  exert  upon  one  another,  and 
there  was  none  of  them  to  whom  Van  der  Palm  was 
not  acceptable.  Schimmelpenninck,  Brugmans, 
Nieuwland,  Bilderdijk,  were  all  his  friends.  To 
how  great  a  degree  the  last  was  so,  despite  the  dif- 
ference of  historical  and  political  views  which  even 
then  in  some  measure  divided  them,  may  be  seen 
from  his  poetical  lines  in  the  album  of  Van  der 
Palm,1  and  from  the  verse  of  the  latter  after  the 
one  hundred  and  five  theses,  upon  whose  public  de- 
fence Bilderdijk  was  promoted  to  Doctor  in  both 
laws.  They  saw  each  other  almost  daily.  Bilder- 
dijk was  several  years  older,  and  Van  der  Palm 
gladly  allowed  himself  to  be  instructed  b}^  him  out 
of  the  vast  fund  of  general  knowledge  which  even 
then  he  already  possessed.  These  two  young  men, 
who  were  destined  to  introduce  and  to  govern  an 
entirely  new  era  in  Dutch  prose  and  poetry,  heard 
each  other,  exercised  each  other,  loved  each  other, 
felt  that  they  were  worthy  of  each  other.2  They 
seemed  destined  to  enter  upon  the  path  of  fame  with 
clasped  hands,  and  to  walk  together  to  the  end.  It 
would  have  been  a  beautiful  incident  in  the  history 
of  our  national  literature.  But  they  who  were  well 
acquainted  with  both,  might  even  then  have  per- 
ceived that  they  were  not  sufficiently  adapted  to  each 

1  See  Appendix. 

2  "  .  .  .  .  misschien  was  Van  der  Palm 

Een  Bilderdijk  niet  gantsch  onwaardig  .  .  .  .  " 

says  Van  der  Palm,  after  the  theses  of  B.  1782. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  17 

other  to  maintain  a  permanent  friendship:  the  differ- 
ence in  their  disposition,  character,  and  efforts  was 
too  great.  This  difference  did  not  indeed  interrupt 
their  good  understanding  during  the  period  of  spec- 
ulative student-life,  but  would  necessarily  give  rise  to 
collisions  in  practical  life.  Yan  der  Palm  sedate, 
moderate,  gentle,  equanimous,  prudent  almost  to 
reserve ;  Bilderdijk  impulsive  in  the  extreme,  ener- 
getic, capricious,  courageous  even  to  excess.  Van 
der  Palm  modest,  loving  and  revering  his  fellow- 
men,  not  always  free  from  the  suspicion  of  being 
influenced  by  the  fear  of  man ;  Bilderdijk  haughty, 
positive,  and  struggling  with  a  sombre  misanthropy. 
Van  der  Palm  pliable,  sometimes  bordering  on  weak- 
ness ;  Bilderdijk  steadfast,  not  without  headiness. 
In  the  domain  of  science,  Van  der  Palm  investigat- 
ing,  Bilderdijk  discovering  ;  Van  der  Palm  apply- 
ing, Bilderdijk  speculating  ;  Van  der  Palm  accu- 
rate and  regular,  Bilderdijk  inconstant,  undertaking 
everything  simultaneously,  and  paradoxical  ;  Van 
der  Palm  renovating  the  old,  Bilderdijk  here  pur- 
suing the  new,  there  obtruding  without  qualification 
the  old  ;  Van  der  Palm  pleading  for  his  opinion, 
Bilderdijk  contending  for  his. 

Add  to  this  the  distinction  of  political  party  and 
the  difference  in  Providential  allotments.  Van  der 
Palm  blessed  with  health,  prosperity,  domestic  hap- 
piness ;  loved,  honored,  flattered,  ascending  from 
step  to  step  without  contradiction  of  any  ;  Bilderdijk 
sickly,  unhappy  in  his  marriage,1  in  his  offspring,2 

1  His  first  marriage. 

2  Most  of  his  children  died  young.  —  Tr. 


18  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

vexed  on  every  side,  misapprehended,  necessitous, 
grieved  by  one  disappointment  after  another.  These 
things  necessarily  separated  those  who  were  so  in- 
wardly united  ;  —  separated  them  despite  the  esteem 
which  they  cherished  for  each  other's  gifts  and 
greatness,  which  induced  them,  after  an  intervening 
coolness  or  actual  breach,  to  extend  to  each  other 
the  hand  of  reconciliation,  which,  alas !  could  not 
be  of  long  continuance.  To  these  causes  is  to  be 
ascribed  their  inability  to  forgive  each  other's  in- 
firmities. Public  sentiment,  which  had  throughout 
shown  itself  partial  to  Van  der  Palm,  seemed,  in  the 
closing  period  of  their  lives,  disposed  to  restore  to 
Bilderdijk  the  share  in  its  favors  which  it  had  so 
long  withheld  ;  the  Society  of  Literature  united 
their  names  by  conferring  on  them  an  honor  in 
which  no  one  else  might  participate  ;  but  their 
hearts  were  estranged  from  each  other,  and  nothing 
but  death  could  unite  them. 

As  to  Van  der  Palm,  he  spoke  to  the  last  with 
great  respect  of  Bilderdijk's  excellent  gifts  ;  he  tes- 
tified "  that  he  esteemed  him  far  above  himself," 
and  gladly  forgave  him  all  the  injury  that  he  had 
done  him. 

Among  the  special  and  most  intimate  friends  of 
Van  der  Palm,  besides  his  earliest  friend,  Jan  Wil- 
lem  Bussingh,  already  mentioned,  were  Henricus 
van  Roijen,  Jacobus  Kantelaar,  Cornelis  Fransen 
van  Eck,  Jacobus  van  Heusden,  Johannes  Stolk, 
Thomas  Hoog,  and  particularly  Ewaldus  Kist. 
How  much  he  was  attached  to  the  last  appears 
from  the  Dedication  of  the  second  volume  of  his 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  19 

Sermons,  in  which  he  recalls  with  the  greatest  de- 
light the  six  years  spent  in  daily  intercourse  with 
this  friend.  He  not  only  mentions  there  that  they 
"  as  an  inseparable  pair  were  accustomed  to  walk 
together  the  streets  of  Leyden  and  its  circumjacent 
lanes,  and  were  in  all  things  each  other's  confi- 
dants," but  he  also  makes  the  remarkable  acknowl- 
edgment, that,  in  the  matter  of  internal  as  well  as 
of  external  eloquence,  he  felt  himself  under  the 
greatest  obligations  to  him ;  as  he  had  made  him 
his  model,  and  endeavored  to  make  himself  master 
of  his  style  and  manner,  "  in  the  hope,"  says  he, 
"  that,  if  I  had  once  acquired  these,  I  should,  by  the 
peculiar  hue  of  my  imagination  and  manner  of  view- 
ing things,  be  able  to  impart  to  them  an  air  of 
diversity  and  originality.  Other  examples  indeed 
were  not  wanting  of  a  worthy  and  intelligent  pulpit 
delivery,  but  yours,  as  being  that  of  my  friend  and 
companion  in  the  same  arena,  wrought  most  power- 
fully on  my  spirit ;  it  was  naturally  most  to  my 
youthful  taste ;  it  was  in  my  immediate  vicinity, 
and  not  placed  at  that  distance  occasioned  by  more 
advanced  years  and  longer  practice.  And  this,  my 
friend,"  continues  he,  "  is  not  the  only  fruit  that  I 
reaped  from  our  collegiate  intercourse  :  we  strength- 
ened each  other  in  our  taste  for,  and  knowledge  of 
the  best  Greek  and  Latin  writers ;  we  stimulated 
each  other  in  our  diligent  study  of  the  speculative 
parts  of  Philosophy ;  we  roamed  together  through 
the  fields  of  Theology,  rejected,  again  accepted,  and 
formed  for  ourselves  those  fixed  principles  which  to 
this  moment  have  not  failed  us  ;  together  we  chose 


20  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

our  modern  reading,  and  by  no  means  neglected  this 
means  of  enriching  our  minds ;  and  we  went  togeth- 
er to  the  beloved  house  of  our  great  and  never- 
to-be-forgotten  Schultens,  to  gather  up  lessons  on 
the  knowledge  of  the  world  and  on  polite  inter- 
course.    But  whilst  all  these  advantages  were  nat- 

S3 

urally  reciprocal,  there  is  one  thing  for  which  I 
am  wholly  indebted  to  you,  without  knowing  that 
I  have  ever  rendered  you  an  equivalent  for  it.  I 
mean  the  refinement  and  elevation  of  my  taste  by 
the  influence  of  music.  Still,  it  seems  to  me,  I  am 
seated  in  my  apartment,  and  the  transporting  tones 
of  your  harpsichord  are  sounding  in  my  ears  ;  still, 
it  seems  to  me,  I  close  my  books,  leave  my  room, 
go  to  yours,  give  you  a  wink  as  I  enter,  to  proceed 
undisturbed,  place  myself  behind  you,  turn  over  for 
you  the  pages  of  your  music,  and  leave  you  not,  till 
the  concert  of  Jourdany  or  Bach  has  been  played 
to  its  close,  and,  attuned  to  the  perception  and  ap- 
preciation of  the  humane  and  the  beautiful,  I  return 
to  my  old  books,  to  search  in  them  especially  for 
what  is  humane  and  beautiful  in  sentiment  and  ex- 
pression." 1 

i  The  friendship  subsisting  between  him  and  Ewaldus  Kist  was  never 
impaired ;  and  in  the  matter  of  sacred  eloquence  Kist  remained  the  man 
after  his  heart,  the  only  pulpit  orator  of  whom  he  always  spoke  with 
his  peculiar  enthusiasm.  "  His  sermons  alone  on  the  Perfections  of 
God,"  he  more  than  once  observed,  "  place  him  at  the  head  of  all  the 
pulpit  orators  of  Holland."  Gladly  would  he  have  seen  him  occupy- 
ing a  chair  beside  him  in  the  University;  but  strong  attachment  to  the 
pastoral  office  withheld  Kist  from  accepting  such  an  appointment. 

Affecting  was  the  feeling  which  Van  der  Palm  always  cherished  for 
this  friend  of  his  youth,  and  forcibly  was  it  expressed  in  the  beautiful 
sermon,  which,  after  his  friend's  death,  he  preached  at  the  ordination 
of  his  son.    Essays,  Discourses,  and  Scattered  Writings.    On  this  and 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  21 

With  Ewaldus  Kist  and  a  few  of  the  other  friends 
above  mentioned  Van  der  Palm  held  a  stated  weekly 
conference,  in  which  each  in  his  turn  read  a  compo- 
sition of  his  own,  and  in  which  the  criticism,  both 
on  that  which  had  been  read  and  on  what  might  be 
further  discussed,  was  free  and  informal.1  In  these 
and  other  meetings  Van  der  Palm  was  always  the 
desired,  always  the  welcome,  seldom  the  absent 
companion.  He  always  had  something  important, 
something  instructive,  something  ingenious,  some- 
thing apropos.  He  was  then  already  distinguished 
for  setting  a  subject  in  its  clearest  light,  leading  you 
to  the  simplest  view  of  it.  Never  did  they  separate 
dissatisfied.  He  was  the  delight,  the  soul,  and  the 
life  of  the  social  circle ;  and  they  ever  had  in  his 
company  provision  made  for  study,  knowledge,  men- 
tal improvement.  In  addition  to  this  he  contributed 
not  a  little  to  the  increase  of  hilarity.  And  in  all 
these  things  his  disposition,  character,  and  genius 
enabled  him  always  to  preserve  the  just  mean  be- 
tween too  little  and  too  much. 

The  youthful  Van  der  Palm  was  lively,  fond 
of  visiting,  of  walking,  of  bodily  exercises,  of  the 
theatre,2  of  sports,  and  especially  of  playing  at  golf, 

similar  occasions,  one  was  at  a  loss  which  most  to  admire  in  him,  on 
the  one  hand,  the  restraining  of  his  feelings,  or  on  the  other,  the 
manner  in  which  he  gave  expression  to  them.  The  one  as  well  as  the 
other  was  done  with  the  most  striking  simplicity,  and  with  that  mod- 
eration which  is  characteristic  of  the  great  man. 

1  To  this  company  also  belonged  Mr.  G.  J.  Loncq,  not  a  student, 
but  a  skilful,  prosperous  manufacturer  in  Leyden,  an  intelligent  and 
studious  man,  known  as  a  poet.  A  poem  of  Van  der  Palm  addressed 
to  this  gentleman  is  still  extant,  bearing  date  1781. 

a  He  resorted  to  it,  so  far  as  the  opportunity  was  afforded  in  Leyden, 


22  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

which  he  did  almost  daily,  and  at  which  he  was 
very  expert.1  Though  he  knew  how  to  allow  him- 
self abundant  time  for  these  pleasures,  he  did  not 
however,  on  their  account,  neglect  his  studies. 

"  It  was  frequently  matter  of  surprise,"  he  used 
to  tell  me,  "  that  I  was  seen  playing  the  whole  after- 
noon at  golf  in  the  Fountain,  and  in  the  evening  at 
ombre,  and  yet  was  prepared  the  next  morning  to 
answer  promptly  on  all  the  lectures  ;  but  it  was  not 
known  that  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  was 
already  washing  myself  in  the  States- basin,  as  the 
States-College  was  called.  However,"  added  he, 
"  in  my  first  year  I  did  not  signify  much  ;  but  then 
Schultens  took  an  interest  in  me,  and  I  thought : 
Wait,  Professor,  you  shall  derive  pleasure  from  it." 

It  is  indeed  incomprehensible  how  much  thorough 

somewhat  frequently,  especially  when  the  great  Corver  was  still  on  the 
stage.  He  testified  that  he,  in  the  part  of  the  Notary  in  The  Indigent 
of  Mercier,  first  caused  him  to  feel  the  nature  of  external  eloquence, 
the  idea  of  which  was  afterwards  fully  developed  in  him  by  Bellamy. 
(See  "  Recollections  of  Bellamy,"  Essays,  Discourses,  and  Scattered 
Writings,  iii.  227.)  Subsequently,  he  carefully  availed  himself  of  the 
talent  of  Mrs.  Wattier-Ziezenis  and  Ward  Bingley.  His  object  was  to 
make  himself  acquainted  with  the  gifts  of  all,  and  to  render  them  con- 
ducive to  the  improvement  of  his  own  delivery.  And  how  well  he  suc- 
ceeded in  doing  this,  with  the  exclusion  of  everything  suited  only  to 
the  stage,  every  one  knows  who  has  witnessed  his  pulpit  performances. 
1  Fondness  for  social  recreations  continued  with  Van  der  Palm  even 
to  advanced  age,  and  it  was  doubtless  very  beneficial  to  him  both  as 
to  mind  and  body.  He  was  particularly  fond  of  relaxing  himself  by 
(sedate)  card-playing,  especially  ombre,  whist,  and  tre-sept,  in  which 
plays  he  was  eminently  skilled.  The  first  he  played  in  the  family  cir- 
cle almost  every  winter  evening  after  leaving  his  stud}-,  though  sel- 
dom much  longer  than  half  an  hour.  He  regarded  the  play,  "  used  as 
a  moderate  and  not  too  long  continued  recreation,  as  neither  unbecom- 
ing nor  entirely  useless."  Satomo,  ii.  319;  on  occasion  of  his  treating 
of  evil-speaking. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  23 

study  Van  der  Palm  accomplished  at  the  University 
in  the   early  summer   mornings   and   long  winter 
evenings   of  the  six  years  which  he    spent   there ; 
what  an  amount  of  reading  he  performed,  and  that 
not  cursorily,  but  penetrating  to  the  pith  and  mar- 
row of  the  subjects.    On  Oriental  languages  and  lit- 
erature, his  principal  study,  he  read  all  the  ancient 
and  modern  authors.     The  Schultenses,  his  favor- 
ites, lay  ever  at  hand.     Michaelis,  Lowth,  Dathe, 
Herder,  were  his  most  confidential   friends.     How 
highly  he  esteemed  the  last  appears  from  his  writ- 
ings.    He  assiduously  perused  the  Greek  and  Latin 
classics,  and  with  what  fruit  is,  among  others,  shown 
by  his  Memorial  of  the  Restoration  of  the  Nether- 
lands, so  entirely  in  the  spirit  of  Sallust,  and  yet  so 
entirely  original  and  Dutch.      Modern   literature, 
we  saw  it  recorded  in  his  own  recollections  of  Kist, 
he  by  no  means  neglected,  especially  the  study  of 
our  national  language  and  literature,  early  inculcated 
on  him  by  his  gifted  father.     With  the  best  French 
writers  he  was  familiar,  and  of  the  Germans  he  read 
Kleist,  Haller,  and  Klopstock.     With  the  rest  he 
first  became  acquainted  at  a  later  period  under  the 
guidance  of  Bellamy,  who  knew  how  to  inspire  him 
with  a  predilection  for  Holty,  which  he  ever  after 
retained.     Of  the  English  he  preferred  the  humor- 
ists, _  Swift,  Smollett,  Fielding,  especially  Sterne. 
There  was  also  in  his  own  nature  a  humorous  ele- 
ment, which  even  in  old  age  was  still  very  apparent 
in  his  relations  and  conversations,  and  also  here  and 
there  in  his  writings  directed  the  mode  of  expression. 
"  Tristram  Shandy"  was  his  favorite  at  the  Univer- 


24  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

sity,  and  remained  so  to  his  hoary  days.  He  used  to 
read  a  page  or  two  in  it,  or  in  the  "  Mille  et  Une," 
almost  daily  before  his  siesta. 

What  is  called  plodding  was  never  his  case. 
Quickness,  ease  in  acquiring,  a  rapid  glance  and  a 
tact  not  to  be  deceived,  exempted  him  from  shut- 
ting himself  up  in  his  study,  buried  among  folios. 
Hence  he  never  became  a  disagreeable  bookworm. 
He  had  no  distractions,  nor  did  he  bring  the  con- 
tents of  books  or  the  wrinkles  of  painful  study  with 
him  into  social  life.  As  a  student  mutual  study  was 
very  agreeable  to  him.  With  a  couple  of  select 
friends,  to  study  together  at  the  tea-table  a  lecture  to 
which  they  had  listened,  in  order  that  they  might 
the  next  day  answer  on  it  more  readily,  was  very 
much  to  his  mind ;  and  for  those  who  were  of  this 
triumvirate  (Van  Roijen  and  Kist)  this  was,  espe- 
cially by  means  of  his  presence,  and  as  it  were  un- 
der his  presidency,  very  instructive. 

In  this  and  similar  ways  Van  der  Palm  pursued 
his  studies.  When  he  approached  Theology  proper, 
he  did  not  allow  his  Oriental  studies  to  repose,  but 
prosecuted  them  zealously  under  the  guidance  and  in 
the  enjoyment  of  daily  intercourse  with  Schultens. 
About  this  time  he  began  the  first  work  with  which 
he  was  to  appear  before  the  public,  —  the  "  Philo- 
logical and  Critical  Elucidation  of  Ecclesiastes."  He 
completed  it  at  the  close  of  the  year  1783,  and  de- 
fended it  publicly  the  81st  of  January  of  the  follow- 
ing year,  under  the  presidency  of  his  beloved  teacher, 
and  in  presence  of  a  great  concourse.  Van  der 
Palm  spoke  to  me  more  than  once  of  this  defence, 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  25 

and  used  to  say :  "  It  was  indeed  somewhat  pre- 
sumptuous in  me,  as  I  had  only  the  Hebrew  codex 
before  me ;  but  happily  it  succeeded  well.  Schul- 
tens  had  previously  said :  '  If  it  passes  off  well,  you 
shall  have  Madeira  ;  if  only  tolerably,  nothing  but 
coffee.'  But  when  we  returned  home  together,  he 
called  simultaneously  for  coffee,  Madeira,  ratafia, 
and  all  kinds  of  liquor.  He  testified  that  I  had  not 
made  a  single  mistake."  This  little  anecdote,  as 
related  to  me  by  Van  der  Palm,  is  communicated, 
principally,  to  show  his  resemblance  to  Schultens. 
For  what  is  here  related  by  him  of  Schultens  is  so 
entirely  in  his  own  spirit,  that  no  one  who  has  had 
intercourse  with  Van  der  Palm  would  be  surprised, 
had  he  in  like  circumstances  conducted  himself  in 
precisely  the  same  way  towards  one  of  his  own 
favorite  pupils.  His  manner  of  intimating  his  appro- 
bation and  delight  in  a  degree  highly  honoring,  and 
at  the  same  time  in  a  way  unaffected  and  cordial, 
without  ever  praising  to  the  face,  was  most  happy 
and  truly  admirable. 

The  first  production  of  Van  der  Palm  excited  gen- 
eral admiration.  It  afforded  evidence  not  only  of 
his  acute  intellect,  but  also  of  his  independent  judg- 
ment, (as  he  had  ventured  to  differ  on  some  points 
even  from  Schultens,)  and  of  the  rarest  learning 
for  one  at  his  period  of  life.  It  established  his  rep- 
utation as  an  Orientalist  both  at  home  and  abroad, 
and  is  still  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  works  on  its 
subject.1 

1  In  most  of  the  testimonials  which  Van  der  Palm  carried  with  him 
from  the  University,  it  is  alluded  to  with  high  praise.    Kuhnkenius 


26  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

Meanwhile  the  time  had  arrived  for  Van  der  Palm 
to  begin  to  give  proof  of  that  eloquence  which, 
during  half  a  century,  has  enjoyed  the  almost  undi- 
vided admiration  of  our  nation.  He  preached  two 
or  three  trial  sermons.  The  result  of  the  first  was, 
according  to  the  assurance  of  contemporaries,  a  gen- 
eral consternation  among  the  theological  students. 
Great  was  the  interest  felt  to  hear  him  at  each  suc- 
cessive time ;  but  however  high  expectations  were 
raised,  they  were  still  surpassed,  both  by  the  beau- 
tiful assemblage  of  his  external  gifts,  melodious 
voice,  bearing,  and  gestures,  and  by  what  was  at 
that  time  especially  worthy  of  admiration,  the  beauty 
of  the  style,  the  simplicity  and  captivating  power 
of  presentation,  and  the  appropriate  and  edifying 
treatment.  The  seats  were  crowded,  even  more 
than  at  an  ordinary  church  service.  The  so-called 
crisis  of  the  professors  was  approbation,  praise,  and 
encouragement ;  and  whoever  had  ears  to  hear,  could 
predict  the  future  great  orator. 

It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  this  eloquence  was, 
as  it  were,  grafted  on  the  decapitated  trunk  of  poe- 
try, for  which  Van  der  Palm  had  a  happy  talent ; 
many  verses  were  composed  by  him,  especially  while 
a  student.  In  the  collections  of  the  society  Kunst 
wordt  door  Arbeid  verkregen 1  proofs  of  it  are  found. 
From  this  society,  and  also  from  the  one  having  for 
its  motto,  Kunstliefde  spaart  geen  vlijt,2  he  received 

denominates  it  a  "  praeclarum  libellum,  in  quo  omnes  qui  de  his  rebus 
judicare  possunt  et  ingenium  auctoris  et  eruditionem  admirantur;  " 
the  theological  faculty :  "  coruplura  non  iugenii  modo  sed  etiam  eru- 
ditionis  documenta  continens ;  "  Schultens:  "  doctum  specimen." 

1  "  Skill  is  acquired  by  practice." 

2  "  Devotion  to  art  spares  no  pains." 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  27 

a  gold  medal : 1  from  the  former  for  his  lyric,  "  War ; " 
from  the  latter  for  his  poem,  "Christ  transfigured  on 
the  Mount."  In  them  are  found  very  beautiful  coup- 
lets.2 An  entire  portfolio  of  verses  from  his  hand 
lies  before  me.  They  are  mostly  in  an  erotic  strain, 
in  the  manner  of  his  time,  a  mixture  of  the  classical 
with  the  sentimental ;  and  in  this  he  succeeded  as 
well  at  least  as  most  of  his  contemporaries.  To  their 
rhymeless  verses  he  had  an  aversion.  From  this 
art,  however,  he  quickly  withdrew,3  with  the  con- 
viction that  poetry  was  not  his  forte,  and  that  its 
cultivation  would  be  prejudicial  to  that  of  eloquence.4 
To  this  he  consecrated  all  his  powers,5  with  the  sac- 
rifice of  poetry,  in  which  he  had  already  begun  to 
acquire  distinction.  Still  it  was  doubtless  of  im- 
portance to  his  prose,  that  he  had  cursorily  passed 
through  the  poetic  school.  The  laws  of  euphony, 
with  which  the  writing  of  verses  had  made  him  famil- 
iar, were  happily  applied  by  him  to  the  rhythm  of 
his  style,  whilst  he  always  knew  how  to  avoid  every- 
thing calculated  to  remind  one  of  the  peculiar  tone 
of  poetry.  It  was  therefore  never  a  matter  of  re- 
gret to  him  that  he  had  composed  verses,  and  he 

1  With  regard  to  these  triumphs  Van  der  Palm  was  always  eminently 
humble.  "  I  had  those  medals  melted  over  as  gifts  for  my  children  at 
my  silver  wedding,"  said  he ;  "  but  I  was  not  entitled  to  them.  It  was 
then  no  very  difficult  matter." 

2  See  the  Appendix. 

8  His  last  verses  were,  I  believe,  composed  at  Maartensdijk. 

4  See  his  "  Discourse  on  Self-Knowledge, "  Essays,  Discourses,  and 
Scattered  Writings,  iv.  156.  "  Nothing  prevents  from  being  at  the  same 
time  poet  and  orator;  but  to  be  both,  without  the  one  prejudicing  the 
other,  we  regard  as  at  least  questionable,  if  not  as  improbable,"  etc. 
etc. 

4  Dedication  to  E.  Kist  in  the  second  volume  of  his  sermons.   . 


28  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

regarded  it  of  much  importance  to  him  that  he  had 
become  conscious  of  his  own  poetic  talent.  It  was 
also  eminently  serviceable  to  him  in  his  translations 
of  the  Bible.  In  the  preface  of  his  work  on  Isaiah 
he  says :  "  Had  I  never  felt  that  fire  kindled  within 
me,  had  I  been  an  entire  stranger  to  the  language  of 
ecstasy,  I  should  never  have  ventured  on  the  trans- 
lation of  such  a  poet  as  Isaiah."  His  exquisite 
poetic  sensibility,  and  his  pure  poetic  taste,  are 
abundantly  proved  both  by  this  work,  and  by  the 
aesthetic  contemplations  scattered  with  no  sparing 
hand  through  all  his  works,  and  which  he  frequently 
could  not  exclude  even  from  his  sermons.  He  was 
in  this  respect  entirely  formed  at  a  very  early  period 
of  life.  When  not  yet  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he 
wrote  a  letter  to  Maurits  Cornelis  van  Hall,  criti- 
cising a  poem  which  had  been  sent  to  him  by  this 
friend,  who  was  then  but  a  youthful  poet,  in  which 
are  expressed  the  same  fundamental  rules  which  he 
subsequently  on  various  occasions  enforced  with  all 
the  power  of  his  eloquence,  and  which  he  observed 
in  all  his  own  works.1 

1  A  copy  of  this  letter  has,  by  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Van  Hall,  been 
placed  at  my  disposal,  and  it  is  consequently  found  in  the  Appendix. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  29 


CHAPTER   III. 

On  the  5th  of  January  1784,  Van  der  Palm  pro- 
cured his  dismission  from  the  States-College,  and  on 
the  1st  of  November  following,  he,  together  with  J.  J. 
van  Steenbergen,  and  J.  Stolk,  his  former  schoolfellow 
and  faithful  University  friend,  was,  after  previous  ex- 
amination, received  as  candidate  by  the  Classis  of 
Leyden  and  the  Lower  Rhine.  In  consequence  of  his 
youth,  being  only  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he  could 
not,  despite  the  great  number  of  vacancies,  be  lo- 
cated in  the  province  of  Holland.  In  the  diocese  of 
Utrecht  the  regulations  respecting  this  matter  were 
of  a  more  liberal  character,  and  on  the  13th  of  De- 
cember of  the  same  year,  out  of  a  nomination  of  six 
persons,  among  whom  he  occupied  the  fourth  place, 
he  was,  by  the  consistory  of  the  church  in  Maartens- 
dijk,  a  village  between  four  and  five  miles  distant 
from  Utrecht,  unanimously  chosen  to  be  their  pastor 
and  teacher.  This  speedy  success  was,  however,  but 
half  welcome,  as  he  had  another  post  in  view,  to 
which  in  all  probability  he  would  be  appointed,  and 
which  seemed  to  him  more  desirable.1  The  consent 
of  the  provincial  States  followed  the  next  day,  and 
very  soon  after  the  approbation  of  the  Classis  of 

1  "  Recollections  of  Bellamy,"  Essays,  Discourses,   and  Scattered 
Writings,  iii.  235,  236. 


30  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

Amersfoort,  before  which  his  final  examination  was 
completed  the  9th  of  March,  1785,  upon  which  he 
was  introduced  to  the  congregation,  and  the  28th  of 
March,  second  day  of  Easter,  was  fixed  for  his  or- 
dination. This  service  was  at  the  appointed  time 
performed  by  Professor  Boers,  of  Leyden,  with  the 
greatest  satisfaction,  as  was  to  be  expected  from  his 
strong  attachment.  His  text  was  Mark  xvi.  15  : 
u  Preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature  ;  "  and  in  the 
afternoon  the  young  minister  delivered  his  inaugural 
from  2  Cor.  iv.  5 :  "  We  preach  not  ourselves,  but 
Christ  Jesus  the  Lord."  He  repaired  to  the  par- 
sonage with  his  only  sister  Helena,  with  whom  he  oc- 
cupied it  for  some  time ;  but  on  the  14th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1786,  he  entered  into  the  marriage  relation  with 
Miss  Alida  Bussingh,  the  daughter  of  his  deceased 
paternal  friend,  the  Delfthaven  minister :  a  young, 
lovely,  eminently  beautiful  and  graceful  woman,  who 
was  devotedly  attached  to  him,  and  with  whom  he 
lived  forty-nine  years  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  highest 
connubial  felicity. 

The  young  minister  enjoyed  in  this  charge  the 
highest  esteem  and  love.  "  The  people  had  much 
patience  with  me,"  he  used  to  say.  His  preaching 
was  listened  to  with  the  greatest  satisfaction.  From 
Utrecht  the  people  came  very  frequently  to  hear 
him,  especially  the  students  of  the  University.  The 
sermons  of  that  period  which  have  been  preserved, 
are  in  an  entirely  different  form  from  those  which 
he  subsequently  gave  to  the  public.  They  are 
longer,  and  in  them  more  time  is  given  to  exposi- 
tion than  in  the  latter.     But  they  are  equally  dis- 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  31 

tinguished  for  beauty  of  language  and  felicity  of 
expression,  and  especially  for  a  conscientious  and 
an  open  avowal  of  the  doctrines  of  our  national 
Reformed  Church.  With  respect  to  eloquence,  a 
very  great  difference  exists  between  the  last  of  his 
discourses  at  Maartensdijk  and  the  first  of  his  pub- 
lished sermons. 

In  one  thing  the  youthful  minister  felt  himself 
deficient,  and  that  too  a  very  important,  perhaps  the 
most  important  part  of  the  gospel  ministry,  —  the 
pastoral  work.  "  In  all  uprightness,"  he  subse- 
quently wrote  (1791)  to  a  friend,  "  it  is  not  my 
case,  I  venture  to  say  it  is  not  my  gift ;  and  I  never 
succeeded  in  it." 

Meantime  he  was  not  permitted  to  remain  long 
in  this  quiet  village,  in  the  exercise  of  his  peaceful 
and  most  happy  ministry.  As  early  as  the  17th  of 
March,  1786,  he  received  a  letter  from  Schultens, 
written  to  ascertain  whether  he  would  be  disposed  to 
accept  an  appointment  as  Professor  of  Theology  and 
Oriental  Languages  at  Lingen.  "  The  post,"  wrote 
Schultens,  "  is  not  in  itself  unpleasant ;  the  remu- 
neration tolerably  large  (1000  florins)  ;  but  the  place 
is  no  way  attractive.  Moreover,  it  is  not  a  theatre 
worthy  of  your  merits,  and  upon  it,  however, 
you  run  the  risk  of  being  obliged  to  spend,  if  not 
your  whole  life,  at  least  a  great  part  of  it.  I  rejoice 
that  your  merits  are  already  beginning  to  be  appre- 
ciated, and  I  heartily  wish  that  they  may  be  speedily 
acknowledged  in  a  still  more  illustrious  manner." 
"Whether  this  appointment  was  declined  by  Van  der 
Palm,  or  whether  the  matter  was  never  carried  so 


32  LIFE  OF  VAN"  DER  PALM. 

far,  I  do  not  know  ;  but  Providence  had  determined 
that  he  should  leave  this  peaceful  village  in  a  differ- 
ent way,  and  move  successively  in  spheres  of  increas- 
ing honor  and  usefulness,  which  were  all  to  con- 
tribute  to  make  him  the  highly  accomplished  man 
that  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  be,  in  order  to  stand 
at  the  head  of  the  literati  of  his  country.  Provi- 
dence employed  for  this  purpose  the  misfortunes  of 
his  country,  and  his  own  errors. 

Van  der  Palm  had  been  educated  in  the  views 
of  the  so-called  patriotic  party,  and  most  of  his  Uni- 
versity friends  (with  exception,  certainly,  of  Buss- 
ingh  and  Bilderdijk,  who  were  strongly  opposed) 
were  attached  to  it.  So  also  his  paternal  friend, 
Hendrik  Albert  Schultens.  His  location  in  the 
diocese  of  Utrecht  had  brought  him  into  acquaint- 
ance and  intimate  relation  with  Zelandus  (Bellamy), 
and  this  friendship  had  fanned  his  excited  enthu- 
siasm into  a  great  flame.  The  youthful  minister, 
full  of  zeal  for  that  which  he  esteemed  the  good 
cause,  attached  great  importance  to  all  that  was 
planned  and  done  to  promote  it ;  he  even  went  so 
far  as  to  participate  in  the  military  exercises  of  the 
citizens,  which  he  vindicated  from  the  pulpit,  though 
his  course  was  severely  censured  by  persons  of  greater 
discretion,  or  who  were  attached  to  a  different  party. 
This  continued  till  the  invasion  of  the  Prussians,  in 
September,  1787,  when  Van  der  Palm,  fearing  to  be 
plundered,  and  dreading  the  hatred  not  so  much  of 
the  inhabitants  of  Maartensdijk,  as  of  those  of  the 
neighboring  Bunschoten,  who  seem  to  have  been 
very  much  prejudiced  against  him,  thought  it  advis- 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  33 

able  for  him  to  depart  with  his  young  wife,  which 
he  did  without  the  previous  knowledge  of  any,  and 
in  the  most  unexpected  manner.  He  withdrew  on 
Sabbath,  the  16th  of  that  month,  after  having 
preached  in  the  afternoon  on  the  fifty-first  Lord's 
Day  of  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  which  he  did  in- 
stead of  appearing  as  usual  at  the  place  of  military 
exercises.  He  took  his  departure  very  precipitately, 
leaving  behind  him  all  his  effects.  He  repaired 
with  his  wife  to  the  house  of  her  brother,  J.  W. 
Bussingh,  then  minister  at  Monster.  In  vain  did 
his  friends  in  the  congregation  urge  him  to  return, 
assuring  him  in  their  letters  that  he  would  be  in 
no  danger  at  Maartensdijk,  and  that  "  he  had  been 
unnecessarily  alarmed  by  false  rumors  of  danger, 
whilst  the  congregation  were  only  lamenting  their 
destitute  condition  in  being  deprived  of  their  pastor." 
Others,  who  were  more  prudent,  did  not  advise  his 
immediate  return.  His  purpose  was  formed,  and 
October  30th,  1787,  he  requested  his  dismission, 
having  previously  recommended  to  the  Classis  to 
make  provision  for  supplying  the  pulpit.1  His  dis- 
mission was  granted  a  few  days  after  (November 
4th)  by  the  consistory  of  the  church.  To  no  pur- 
pose was  letter  after  letter  written  to  him  by  his 
ministerial  brethren,  who  cordially  loved  him  ;  in 
vain  did  the  Classis  delay  the  matter  by  pretending 
a  difficulty  on  the  ground  that  his  request  was  made 

1  To  a  certain  person  at  Maartensdijk  he  wrote:  "  Not  that  I  fear  for 
ray  safety,  —  it  is  perhaps  at  present  everywhere  equally  safe,  —  and 
not  more  so  here  than  elsewhere;  but  to  be  the  object  of  insult,  of 
ridicule,  of  humiliating  sympathy,  and  so  to  exercise  my  ministry  with 
no  heart  or  pleasure,  —  this  would  be  to  me  an  inexpressible  grief." 
3 


34  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

without  sufficient  cause ;  fruitless  was  the  attempt 
of  the  Synod  to  dissuade  him  from  his  purpose :  he 
persevered ;  and  on  the  12th  of  March  of  the  fol- 
lowing year  he  received  from  the  Classis  his  dismis- 
sion in  due  form,  with  the  assurance  of  their  sincere 
regret,  and  their  unfeigned  thankfulness  "  for  his 
past  services  and  intercourse,  and  of  their  hearty 
prayer  to  Almighty  God,  that  he  would  incline 
him  to  consecrate  his  excellent  gifts  to  the  exten- 
sion of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  and  to  the  edifi- 
cation of  his  people,  and  that  he  would  crown  all 
his  efforts  with  the  richest  of  his  blessings." 

This  is  all  that  we  are  able  to  communicate  re- 
specting an  occurrence  in  Van  der  Palm's  life,  of 
which  he  spoke  reluctantly,  and  in  which  none  of 
his  friends  participated.  It  excited  heartfelt  regret 1 
in  all  who  were  interested  in  his  welfare,  and  it  cost 
him,  undoubtedly,  a  severe  struggle  to  tear  himself 
away  from  his  beloved  flock,  but  especially  from  the 
work  of  the  ministry.  At  a  later  period,  when 
professor  at  Ley  den,  he  frequently  visited  Maartens- 
dijk.  The  opportunity  for  doing  so  occurred  nat- 
urally and  repeatedly,  as  he  was  accustomed  for 
several  years  to  spend  the  greater  part  of  the  Uni- 
versity vacation  at  the  villa  Pijnenburg,  in  the  fam- 
ily of  his  relative,  Lord  Tetterode,  where  he  most 

1  On  occasion  of  his  call  to  Vlissingen  (1791),  Prof.  Boers  wrote  thus: 
"Very  deeply  has  it  affected  me  that  he  (Van  der  Palm),  by  a  concur- 
rence of  circumstances,  has  been  laid  under  the  necessity  of  discontin- 
uing his  ministry,  —  a  man  who,  by  his  extensive  learning,  sound 
judgment,  delicate  taste,  excellent  preaching  gifts,  attachment  to  the 
doctrines  of  our  church,  and  especially  by  his  peaceable  disposition  and 
genuine  piety,  is  so  eminently  fitted  to  be  useful  in  the  promotion  of 
the  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ." 


LIFE   OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  35 

fondly  pursued  his  studies  in  undisturbed  retirement, 
and  where  he  began  and  completed  many  of  his 
writings.1 

Pijnenburg  lay  at  the  foot  of  the  village  De 
Vuursche,  in  the  vicinity  of  Maartensdijk.  It  was 
therefore  very  gratifying  to  him,  in  the  year  1811, 
to  be  solicited  by  the  minister  of  his  former  charge 
to  occupy  his  pulpit,  which  he  did  August  4th  of 
the  same  year.  His  text  was  1  John  ii.  12  :  "I  write 
unto  you,  little  children,  because  your  sins  are  for- 
given you  for  his  name's  sake."  In  his  preliminary 
remarks,  with  his  peculiar  tact  and  ability,  he  con- 
nected the  treatment  of  his  subject  with  his  last 
sermon,  in  the  year  1787,  on  the  petition  :  "  For- 
give us  our  debts,  as  we  forgive  our  debtors."  Was 
it  surprising  that  by  this  unaffected  and  striking 
reminiscence  he  won  the  hearts  of  all?2 

Having  taken  his  dismission  as  minister  at  Maar- 
tensdijk, Van  der  Palm  remained  for  a  time  at  the 
house  of  his  brother-in-law  at  Monster,  in  some 
degree  of  uncertainty  as  to  what  he  should  under- 
take. In  a  letter  written  at  a  later  period,  he  says, 
"a  thousand  resolutions  were  hastily  formed,"  one 
of  which  was  to  repair  to  Leyden  and  commence 
the  study  of  medicine,  a  department  to  which  he 
always  attached  great  importance.     Still  he  would 

1  See  Essays,  Discourses,  and  Scattered  Writings,  vol.  i.,  in  the  Ded- 
ication to  Mr.  Lublink. 

2  This  sermon  is  found  in  the  first  volume  of  the  series,  each  of 
which  contains  six  discourses.  Van  der  Palm  visited  Maartensdijk  for 
the  last  time  in  1837.  In  the  garden  of  the  parsonage  a  morel-tree 
was  pointed  out  to  him,  which  had  been  planted  by  his  own  hand. 


86  LIFE   OF  VAN   DER  PALM. 

probably,  according  to  his  own  later  testimony,  have 
returned  to  Maartensdijk  at  the  solicitation  of  the 
congregation  and  the  Classis,  had  not  a  proposition 
intervened,  which  providentially  separated  him  from 
the  public  service  of  the  Church.  Whilst  at  Mon- 
ster, in  a.  state  of  irresolution,  he  opened  a  corre- 
spondence with  Schultens,  to  whom  the  opportunity 
was  unexpectedly  afforded  of  opening  up  to  him  a 
new  prospect.  A  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Frem- 
ery,  then  residing  in  Haarlem,  but  of  Zealand  de- 
scent, had  inquired  of  Schultens  whether  Mr.  Wel- 
dijk,  one  of  his  former  pupils  and  a  contemporary 
of  Van  der  Palm,  would  be  inclined  to  take  up  his 
residence  with  Lord  Johan  Adriaan  van  de  Perre,  of 
Nieuwerve,  "  a  man  of  large  estate  and  a  great 
amateur,  as  librarian,  overseer  of  a  rich  cabinet,  etc., 
and  at  the  same  time  as  company  for  him."  Some 
time  after,  Schultens  wrote  thus  to  Van  der  Palm  : 
"  This  proposition,  as  made  by  this  gentleman, 
seemed  in  all  respects  so  acceptable,  that  when 
it  was  declined  by  Mr.  Weldijk,  who  could  not 
consent  to  relinquish  the  pulpit,  I  did  not  hesi- 
tate for  a  moment  to  recommend  you  as  perfectly 
adapted  to  the  situation."  He  invited  him,  there- 
fore, to  make  him  a  visit  for  the  purpose  of  convers- 
ing more  freely  on  the  subject,  and  he  subsequently 
advised  him  to  seek  an  interview  with  Mr.  Fremery 
in  Haarlem  ;  and  the  result  of  this  journey  and  mu- 
tual conference  was,  that  Van  de  Perre  and  Van  der 
Palm,  in  the  month  of  December,  entered  into  an 
agreement,  which  was  to  take  effect  on  the  1st  of 
January  of  the  following  year. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  37 

Jolian  Adriaan  van  de  Perre,  Lord  of  Nieuwerve, 
formerly  representative  of  his  Royal  Highness,  the 
Prince  hereditary  Stadtholder,  lived,  as  first  noble- 
man of  Zealand,  in  great  esteem  and  honor  in  Mid- 
delburg  ;  having  resigned  his  public  offices,  and 
reposing  as  a  private  citizen  in  the  bosom  of  science. 
He  is  described  by  Van  der  Palm,  "  in  one  of  the 
favorite  productions  of  his  youth,"  !  as  a  man  of 
eminent  piety,  philanthropy,  knowledge,  and  ability, 
excelling  in  all  public  and  private  virtues.  Next  to 
the  honor  of  God,  he  had  nothing  so  much  at  heart 
as  the  diffusion  of  sound  knowledge  and  genuine  re- 
finement among  all  classes,  and  he  felt  constrained 
to  devote  himself  to  the  promotion  of  this  object. 
For  this  purpose  an  institution  had  been  founded  by 
him  in  Middelburg,  bearing  the  name  of  the  Mid- 
delburg  Museum,  and  designed  to  combine  in  itself 
whatever  might  contribute  "  to  elevate  the  citizens, 
to  enlighten  the  mass  of  the  people,  and,  by  refining 
their  taste  and  ennobling  their  minds,  to  render 
more  important  the  sphere  of  their  activity."  The 
great  object  which  he  had  in  view  he  hoped  to  be 
able  to  attain  by  having  the  Middelburg  youth 
educated  by  more  competent  and  more  experienced 
instructors,  and  by  diffusing  so  far  as  possible  and 
propagating  the  knowledge  of  the  most  useful  sci- 
ences among  persons  in  early  life,  and  also  among 
those  of  more  advanced  age.  He  desired,  therefore, 
to  procure  a  man  sufficiently  skilled  in  the  necessary 
sciences,  full  of  zeal  for  their  diffusion,  and  qualified 

1  "Eulogy  on  Lord  J.  A.  van  de  Perre,"  Essays,  Discourses,  and 
Scattered  Writings,  vol.  i.     See  the  Preface. 


38  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

to  communicate  instruction  in  them  in  an  attractive 
manner.  Such  a  person,  placed  at  the  head  of  this 
institution,  with  some  honorable  title,  was  to  reside 
in  the  Museum,  and  give  regular  lectures,  without 
being  restricted  as  to  the  precise  method  to  be 
adopted,  but  bound  never  to  inculcate  any  senti- 
ments subversive  of  the  confirmed  and  restored 
constitution  of  the  republic. 

Such  was  the  generous  plan  of  Lord  van  de 
Perre,  briefly  sketched  by  Van  der  Palm  in  his 
eulogy  on  his  benefactor.  The  only  difficulty 
which  presented  itself  was  to  procure  the  neces- 
sary means  to  compensate  the  overseer  of  the  Mu- 
seum, and  these  he  agreed  to  furnish  himself  until 
provision  should  be  made  in  some  other  way.  For 
this  purpose  he  was  willing,  could  a  suitable  person 
be  found,  to  enter  into  such  an  arrangement  with 
him  as  would  afford  him  an  opportunity  of  placing 
himself  in  a  favorable  light  before  the  general  di- 
rectors of  the  Museum.  He  therefore  offered  to 
such  a  person  an  annual  stipend  of  one  thousand 
florins,  besides  a  residence  free,  and  required  in  re- 
turn the  following  services  :  "  To  assist  him  at  all 
suitable  times  in  the  prosecution  of  his  studies,  and 
in  all  such  scientific  investigations  as  they  were  com- 
petent to  make ;  to  have  the  oversight  of  his  library, 
cabinet,  and  curiosities  ;  the  direction  of  his  chari- 
ties to  the  necessitous,  and  the  charge  of  his  private 
expenditures,  when  travelling  together ;  to  conduct 
his  domestic  religious  exercises  twice  a  day,  at  ap- 
pointed hours,  which  were  to  consist  of  a  prayer, 
the  reading  of  a  portion  of  Scripture,  accompanied 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  39 

by  a  brief  exposition,  and  the  singing  of  a  psalm 
or  hymn,  in  the  presence  of  the  whole  family,  on 
which  occasion  Van  de  Perre  desired  that  every  one 
in  his  employ  should  be  exhorted  to  the  faithful  per- 
formance of  his  duties ;  finally,  whenever  Lord  van 
de  Perre  should  be  providentially  prevented  from 
attending  public  worship  on  the  Sabbath  or  on  the 
usual  festival  days,  this  loss  should  be  so  far  as  pos- 
sible compensated  by  a  short  sermon  or  edifying 
lecture." 

Such  were  the  duties  which  Van  der  Palm  gladly 
consented  to  perform,  and  which  were  prescribed  in 
so  delicate  and  honorable  a  manner,  and  their  per- 
formance rendered  so  easy,  that  for  the  sake  of  them 
he  manifested  a  readiness  to  be  entirely  released 
from  the  obligations  which  still  bound  him  to  his 
former  ministry,  a  readiness  to  carry  out  to  the 
best  of  his  ability  the  -views  of  Van  de  Perre.  The 
more  extended  plan,  with  reference  to  which  the 
Zealand  nobleman  entered  into  this  arrangement, 
was  never  carried  into  execution,  but  to  it  Van  der 
Palm  owed,  according  to  his  own  testimony,  two  of 
the  happiest  years  of  his  life.  Having  tarried  some 
time  at  Delfthaven  with  his  parents,  he  departed  in 
the  spring  of  1788,  with  his  spouse,  to  enter  upon 
the  duties  that  awaited  him  in  Middelburg.  Next 
to  the  splendid  mansion  of  Lord  van  de  Perre,  he 
found  a  house  and  garden  in  readiness,  and  pro- 
vided with  necessaries. 

His  marriage  had  not  yet  been  blessed  with  chil- 
dren. With  the  greatest  zeal  he  entered  on  his 
domestic  career,  amid  a  hundred  delicate  attentions 


40  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

on  the  part  of  his  patron.  The  summer  was  spent 
by  the  family  at  the  country-seat  Westhoven,  situ- 
ated on  the  west  side  of  the  charming  island  of 
Walcheren  ;  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile  from 
there  the  attractive  Duinviiet  was  pointed  out  to 
Van  der  Palm  as  a  residence  for  himself  and  family. 
Besides  the  customary  religious  exercises,  main- 
tained there  as  well  as  in  Middelburg,  Van  der 
Palm  held  every  Sabbath,  late  in  the  afternoon,  (so 
as  not  to  interfere  with  the  afternoon  service  in  the 
church,)  a  regular  church  service.  For  this  pur- 
pose a  spacious  hall  was  set  apart  as  a  sort  of  chapel, 
and  furnished  with  the  necessary  apparatus,  even  to 
an  organ.  It  was  sufficiently  large  to  accommodate 
not  only  the  entire  family,  but  also  a  considerable 
number  of  persons  from  such  of  the  neighboring 
villas  as  had  access  to  it,  by  whom  this  privilege 
was  highly  appreciated. 

Van  de  Perre  and  Van  der  Palm  were  fitted  not 
only  to  be  mutually  useful,  but  also  to  be  mutually 
agreeable  in  the  highest  degree ;  capable  of  appre- 
ciating and  loving  each  other.  Hence  their  recipro- 
cal attachment  increased  daily;  and  Madame  van  de 
Perre  participated  in  it  with  the  greatest  cordiality. 
To  his  friendship  for  him,  whom  he  fondly  styled 
his  benefactor,  Van  der  Palm  has  reared  an  endur- 
ing monument  in  the  eulogy  which  the  Zealand 
Society  at  Vlissingen  desired  of  him,  after  the 
death  of  the  wrorthy  nobleman,  and  to  which  we 
have  already  several  times  alluded.  He  thus  en- 
joyed the  sweet  satisfaction  of  being  able  to  confer 
immortality  on  a  name  which  he  never  uttered  but 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  41 

with  the  greatest  respect  and  the  most  cordial  affec- 
tion, and  which  was  ever  embalmed  in  his  grateful 
heart.  The  silhouette  of  the  virtuous  nobleman 
always  hung  in  the  study  of  his  favorite,  opposite 
his  seat  ;  and  to  the  close  of  his  life  he  delighted  to 
speak  of  the  kindnesses,  the  friendly  attentions,  the 
estimableness  of  Van  de  Perre,  and  of  the  happiness 
enjoyed  in  his  domestic  circle. 

The  studies  of  this  intelligent  man  took  a  wide 
range,  as  is  very  apparent  from  the  eulogy.  The 
young  theologian  and  cultivator  both  of  Oriental 
and  Occidental  letters,  found  himself  in  a  domain 
which  was  to  some  extent  entirely  new.  With 
that  ready  and  versatile  talent  for  which  he  was  so 
remarkable,  and  which  was  rendered  the  more  val- 
uable by  his  happy  power  of  collecting  and  concen- 
trating all  the  energies  of  his  mind  on  the  object 
demanding  his  present  attention,  Van  der  Palm  now 
applied  himself  to  those  sciences  which  constituted 
Lord  van  de  Perre's  favorite  study,  —  physics  and 
everything  pertaining  to  it.  How  conducive  this 
digression  must  have  been  to  the  increase  of  that 
general  knowledge  which  appears  in  all  his  writ- 
ings, may  be  easily  comprehended.  But  his  situa- 
tion yielded  him  still  another  advantage.  In  the 
house  of  the  nobleman  he  became  familiar  with  the 
tone  of  the  great  world,  which  he  subsequently, 
when  the  occasion  required,  could  so  perfectly  as- 
sume without  any  appearance  of  affectation,  and 
which  was  very  serviceable  to  him,  especially  in  his 
political  career.  The  nature  of  his  principal  and 
most  sacred   employment,   however,   confined   him 


42  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

chiefly  to  his  favorite  studies.  The  obligation  to 
expound  the  Scriptures  as  a  part  of  the  family  de- 
votions, naturally  gave  him  the  opportunity  of  per- 
fecting himself  in  the  department  of  exegesis,  and 
of  subjecting  various  books  of  the  Bible  to  a  regular 
and  critical  investigation  ;  whilst  at  the  same  time 
it  was  admirably  fitted  to  make  him  practically  ac- 
quainted with  the  requirements  of  a  popular  exposi- 
tion of  the  Bible,  and  it  laid  him  under  a  special 
necessity  of  cultivating  his  talent  in  this  direction. 
It  was  not  long  before  the  public  shared  in  the  fruit 
of  these  exercises,  by  the  publication  of  "  Certain 
Songs  of  David,"  in  the  year  1791,  after  the  death 
of  Lord  van  de  Perre,  dedicated  to  the  dowager  ; 1 
a  work  which  was  pervaded  by  the  spirit  and  taste 
of  Schultens.2  Here  he  also  laid  the  foundation  for 
his  work  on  Isaiah,  published  several  years  later, 
and  in  general  for  his  gigantic  work,  the  translation 
of  the  Bible,  chiefly,  however,  with  respect  to  the 
books  of  the  Old  Testament. 

But  the  pleasures  derived  from  religion  and  sci- 
ence which  Van  de  Perre  and  Van  der  Palm  en- 
joyed together,  were  of  short  continuance.  The 
worthy  Zealander  died  on  the  8th  of  April,  1790  ; 
but  Van  der  Palm,  at  her  urgent  solicitation,  re- 

1  A  second  edition,  to  which  were  added  "All  the  Songs  of  Asaph," 
was  issued  in  Leyden,  in  the  year  1815. 

2  "  To  transfer  the  exact  interpretation  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures  from 
the  schools  of  the  learned,  to  which  it  had'  thus  far  been  exclusively 
confined,  to  the  general  use  of  all  intelligent  readers  in  our  fatherland, 
and  to  make  the  Hebrew  poets,  to  the  perusal  of  whom  all  who  were 
not  Oriental  scholars  were  previously  more  averse,  the  favorite  reading 
of  the  man  of  taste  and  the  sensitive  artist."  —  Jacobus  Kantelaar's 
Eulogy  on  H.  A.  Schultens.     Amsterdam,  1794. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  43 

mained  with  the  lady  dowager  Jacoba,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Van  den  Brande,  to  the  time  of 
her  decease,  which  occurred  August  14th,  1794. 
How  dear,  I  may  say  sacred,  this  relation  was  to 
him,  appeared,  when,  called,  in  August,  1791,  to 
the  office  of  pastor  and  teacher  at  Vlissingen,  he 
was  urged  to  the  acceptance  of  the  call  by  the  best 
portion  of  the  congregation  and  by  his  dearest 
friends,  with  all  the  persuasives  in  their  power. 
After  a  "  long-continued,  calm,  and  very  conscien- 
tious consideration,"  he  declined  the  call,  fully  con- 
vinced that  he  owed  this 'to  Lady  van  de  Perre,  to 
virtue,  and  to  God.  To  one  of  his  friends  he  wrote  : 
"  This  sacrifice  I  have  made,  not  so  much  to  a 
woman  as  to  my  duty  with  respect  to  her,  to  virtue, 
and,  as  I  fully  believe,  to  the  calling  of  Providence. 
Where  I  am  I  was  placed  by  a  special  Providence ; 
by  a  special  direction  I  relinquished  my  public  min- 
istry ;  at  my  present  post  I  have  never  experienced 
anything  but  approbation  and  satisfaction  ;  even  the 
death  of  Lord  van  de  Perre,  which,  it  might  have 
been  expected,  would  dissolve  our  relations,  has  not 
produced  this  effect ;  my  zeal  is  constantly  increased, 
and  I  thank  my  God,  who  has  never  permitted  me 
to  labor  with  so  much  profit,  illumination,  and  daily 
progress  as  during  the  last  three  years.  Should  I 
then  presently  regard  the  first  call  that  is  presented, 
however  honorable  it  may  be,  as  a  voice  from  Heav- 
en, without  feeling  that  inward  constraint  to  it,  by 
which  God  conducts  man  as  wTith  his  own  hand  to 
his  vocation,  and  which  we  are  assured  he  will  not 
withhold  from  him  wrho  desires  to  walk  confidingly 


44  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

in  his  way?  May  not  God  have  designed  some- 
thing else  by  this  call  than  actually  to  call  me? 
God's  ways,  my  friend,  are  not  as  our  ways  ;  we 
must  await  the  issue."  * 

After  the  death  of  the  lady  dowager,  being  thus 
again  out  of  employment,  Van  der  Palm  presently 
devised  means  by  which  to  provide  for  his  future 
subsistence,  and  prosecuted  with  zeal  his  studies 
and  the  labors  which  he  had  previously  commenced. 
Though  his  modesty  may  have  raised  an  opposing 
voice,  yet  the  prospect  of  receiving  an  appointment 
to  a  professorship  of  Oriental  languages  and  litera- 
ture in  one  of  our  Universities  could  hardly  have 
failed  to  present  itself  to  his  mind  as  not  improba- 
ble ;  —  when  he  was  borne  away  more  powerfully 
than  before  by  the  current  of  political  events. 

l  See  the  Appendix. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  45 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  year  1795,  of  sad  memory,  brought  with  it 
the  political  revolution  which  had  been  in  course 
of  preparation  since  1787.  The  principles  of  lib- 
erty, equality,  and  popular  sovereignty,  on  which 
the  French  revolution  was  based,  had  struck  deep 
root  among  the  patriotic  party  in  this  country.  The 
bitter  fruits  which  the  tree  of  liberty  had  already 
borne  in  France  were  very  imperfectly  known,  as 
during  two  full  years  direct  communications  had 
been  almost  entirely  suspended,  and  the  saddest 
things  in  the  accounts  received  were  generally  re- 
garded as  the  inventions  of  an  odious  party.  It  is 
now,  after  the  experience  of  so  many  years,  almost 
incredible  that  the  most  extravagant  opinions  and 
speculations  should  find  favor  with  the  shrewdest 
and  most  intelligent  men  among  our  sedate  coun- 
trymen ;  but  their  infatuation  was  a  part  of  the  Di- 
vine plan.  For  it  was  to  be  by  means  of  such  a 
fever  that  the  richest  country  in  the  world,  brought 
to  the  verge  of  destruction,  drained  of  its  resources, 
and  chastised  by  the  hand  of  its  powerful  oppressor, 
should  forget  its  unhappy  dissensions,  which  had 
not  ceased  secretly  or  openly  to  distract  it  from  the 
first  moment  of  its  independent  existence. 


46  LIFE  OF  VAN   DER  PALM. 

It  becomes  us,  who  have  been  permitted  to  derive 
advantage  from  the  painful  lesson  of  history,  to  ex- 
ercise charity  in  judging,  and  to  view  things  from 
the  stand-point  of  those  days,  in  which  an  entirely 
different  atmosphere  was  inhaled  from  that  by 
which  we  are  surrounded.  And  if  we  keep  in 
mind  that  the  old  leaven  has  not  yet  been  entirely 
purged  out,  that  Europe  still  suffers  from  the  con- 
sequences of  the  malady  which  in  that  unhappy 
period  threatened  its  utter  prostration,  we  shall 
readily  perceive  how  intoxicating  must  have  been 
the  cup,  whose  contents  had  not  yet  been  attem- 
pered by  time,  not  yet  counteracted  by  the  worm- 
wood of  humiliating  experience. 

With  the  retrospective  view  which  Van  der  Palm 
took  of  this  period  of  our  history,  every  one  is  ac- 
quainted who  has  read  his  writings.  He  did  not 
hesitate  to  denominate  it  our  erring  period,  and  to 
lament  it  deeply  and  unfeignedly.  Sincerely  did  he 
rejoice  in  the  renewal  of  our  national  existence,  and 
the  restoration  of  authority  to  the  House  of  Orange, 
when  "  the  same  crucible  had  refined  all,  the  course 
of  events  eradicated  errors,  the  spirit  of  the  times 
effected  an  approximation  of  sentiments,  without 
which  the  fire  of  discord  might  be  buried  in  the 
ashes,  but  could  not  be  extinguished."  x  With  the 
most  benevolent  zeal,  he  ever  besought  the  nation 
henceforth  to  efface  every  semblance  of  mutual  dis- 
trust, and  to  cause  the  angel  of  unity  to  abide  with 

1  Discourse  commemorating  the  Restoration  of  the  Netherlands,  1st  edi- 
tion, p.  149,  et  seq.  See  also  National  Utterances,  especially  the  "  Ora- 
tion at  the  Centennial  Celebration  of  Leyden's  Relief,"  etc.,  Essays 
Discourses,  and  Scattered  Writings,  ii.  203 ;  iv.  288-294. 


LIFE  OF  VAST  DER  PALM.  47 

them   at   whatever  cost;    inculcating    oblivion    of 
hatred,  suspicion,  and  misapprehension. 

In  a  similar  spirit  would  we  review  the  course 
pursued  by  Van  der  Palm.     After  his  frank  confes- 
sion, after  extending  the  fraternal  hand  in  a  knightly 
spirit  to  the  triumphant  party,  in  whose  victory  he 
with  the  whole  nation  learned  to  rejoice,  the  ques- 
tion should  no  longer  be,  how  he  could  have  ad- 
hered to  different  principles,  but  how  he  conducted 
himself  in  accordance  with  those  principles,  during 
the  time  of  their  ascendency  ;  and  this  view  of  him, 
so  far  from  excluding  him,  on  a  closer  inspection, 
from  the  general   amnesty,  cheerfully  extended  to 
the  men  of  '95,  will  add  new  leaves  to  the  garland 
which  at  some  future  time  a  worthy  eulogist  may 
wreathe  to  his  memory.     All  that  we  shall  attempt 
will  be  simply  to  follow  the  course  of  events,  and  to 
designate  the  position  which,  in  their  progress,  he 
occupied,  according  to  the  testimony  of  a  respecta- 
ble eye-witness. 

Towards   the   close   of  January,  1795,    French 
commissaries  came  to  demand  the  surrender  of  the 
island  of  Walcheren.      On  the  4th    of  February 
came  General  Moreau.     But  little  choice  remained. 
The   revolution  was  actually  effected.     Honorable 
and  estimable  citizens  perceived,  that,  if  measures 
were  to  be  taken  to  prevent  excesses,  as  on  occasion 
of  the  Orange  revolution  in  1787,  many  depreda- 
tions had  been  committed  in   Zealand,  and  hence 
there  was  every  reason  to  apprehend  retaliations; 
if  they  were  not  to  submit  to  the  domination  of  the 
French,  or  to  the  dictation   of  functionaries,  sent 


48  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

from  Holland,  of  ultra-revolutionary  sentiments,  it 
was  high  time  for  them  to  take  the  matter  into  their 
own  hand.  Van  der  Palm  shared  in  this  sentiment. 
But  certainly  the  duty  of  placing  himself  foremost 
in  carrying  out  these  views  did  not  manifestly  de- 
volve on  him,  inasmuch  as  he  was  a  clergyman,  and 
a  stranger  in  Zealand.  Yet  as  to  the  first,  he  was 
free  from  all  ministerial  engagements,  and  to  his 
active  disposition  there  must  have  been  at  that 
moment  something  very  attractive  in  the  useful  em- 
ployment of  his  talents  ;  and  as  to  the  second,  oppo- 
sition to  sectional  distinctions  was  one  of  his  princi- 
ples. Perhaps,  too,  he  was  regarded  with  greater 
favor  by  the  patriots  of  Middelburg,  for  the  very 
reason  that  he  was  less  encumbered  by  all  such 
local  and  personal  considerations  as  had  hitherto 
withheld  them  from  placing  themselves  in  the  fore- 
ground. His  connection,  indeed,  of  so  tender  a 
nature  and  of  several  years'  continuance  with  an 
aristocratic  family,  though  now  dissolved,  must 
have  caused  him  to  foresee  difficulties,  as  he  could 
hardly  fail  to  be  occasionally  placed  in  direct  oppo- 
sition to  the  interests  of  its  relatives,  as  actually 
proved  to  be  the  case  ;  but  those  ties  had  been 
wholly  of  a  personal  nature,  and  as  such  severed  by 
death,  whilst  the  family  had  taken  no  pains,  after 
the  death  of  the  lady  dowager,  to  treat  with  the 
utmost  delicacy  the  favorite  of  the  house,  who,  in 
their  view,  had  enjoyed  rather  too  many  advan- 
tages. But  if  Van  der  Palm  was  upright  in  the 
matter  ;  if  he  truly  desired,  to  the  best  of  his 
knowledge  and  ability,  to  serve  his  country,  such 


LIFE   OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  49 

an  apprehension  neither  could  nor  should  deter  him, 
nor  cause  him  to  recede  from  the  path  on  which  he 
had  entered.  He  accordingly  placed  himself,  with 
two  of  his  friends,  likewise  men  of  integrity  and  of 
more  than  ordinary  ability  at  the  head  of  the  move- 
ment ;  and  on  the  7th  of  February  he  was  the  first 
to  appear  before  an  appointed  meeting  of  respecta- 
ble citizens  of  Middelburg,  and  addressed  them  in 
the  spirit  in  which  he  also  composed  the  proclama- 
tion which  was  published  on  the  10th  of  February, 
and  in  which  the  aforesaid  reasons  for  reaulatino-  a 
necessary  revolution  were  exhibited. 

In  pursuance  of  his  proclamation,  the  existing 
government  was,  a  few  days  after,  dissolved  in  the 
most  courteous,  gentle,  and  quiet  manner,  and 
twenty-five  new  members  of  government  appointed. 
Among  these  was  Van  der  Palm,  and  as  such  he 
was  quickly  despatched  to  the  meeting  of  the  Pro- 
visional Representatives.  His  praise  was  soon  pro- 
claimed by  the  old  members  and  by  the  secretary 
De  Beveren,  who  had  gone  with  the  revolution.  In 
connection  with  prudence  and  considerateness  he 
manifested  that  great  ability  in  mastering  subjects 
which  so  eminently  distinguished  him  in  every  situ- 
ation ;  his  addresses  were  clear,  definite,  moderate, 
but,  at  the  same  time,  firm  ;  he  was  ever  ready  to 
assist  in  preparing  important  documents,  in  writing 
letters,  and  in  drafting  resolutions ;  and  he  was  un- 
commonly dexterous  in  bringing  forward  concilia- 
tory measures.  Both  among  the  representatives 
and  in  the  Council  he  quickly  took  his  true  position, 
manifesting  his  attachment  to  the  interests  of  the 


50  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

nation,  viewed  as  a  whole,  in  opposition  to  those 
which  were  sectional  or  federal.  The  meeting  of 
the  States- General  he  did  not  attend. 

The  less  agreeable  work,  especially  that  of  con- 
stantly interposing  to  keep  the  French  in  check,  he 
knew  how  to  avoid  with  his  usual  tact  and,  on  such 
points,  refined  egotism.  He  did  not  at  the  time 
speak  their  language  with  fluency ;  and  as  he  could 
never  endure  the  thought  of  acting  a  subordinate 
part,  he  had  no  more  to  do  with  them  than  was 
absolutely  necessary.  He  also  quickly  penetrated 
their  true  designs ;  hence,  in  negotiations  with  them, 
or  in  consultation  on  important  propositions  made 
by  them,  he  rather  sided  with  those  who  timidly 
started  objections,  than  with  those  who  were  dis- 
posed to  move  forward  rapidly. 

With  all  his  humility  and  modesty,  there  was  in 
the  character  of  Van  der  Palm  that  measure  of  self- 
esteem  which  led  him  to  regard  the  highest  position 
as  within  his  reach,  and  which  enabled  him  in  the 
most  elevated  situations  to  conduct  himself  with  a 
correspondent  dignity.  The  facile  princess,  which 
in  all  the  spheres  in  which  he  moved  had  always 
been  his  lot,  did  not  make  him  in  the  least  con- 
ceited, but  it  was  agreeable  to  him,  and  at  last  so 
customary,  that  it  became,  perhaps,  a  necessity. 
He  never  manifested  the  least  arrogance  in  his  in- 
tercourse with  his  inferiors,  but  the  idea  of  superiors 
or  equals  was  to  him  somewhat  unpalatable.  This 
trait  of  his  character  did  not  perhaps  remain  entirely 
concealed  in  the  part  which  he  took  in  the  Middel- 
burg  revolution ;  but  from  all  desire  of  gold  or  ad- 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DEE  PALM.  51 

vantage  of  any  kind  he  seemed  to  be  entirely  free. 
Moderation  was  his  watchword,  and  whatever  to 
the  contrary  may  have  been  circulated  to  his  preju- 
dice, he  applied  chiefly  to  the  removal  of  officials,1 
upon  which  the  ultras,  who  were  anxious  to  secure 
the  posts  for  themselves,  were  constantly  insisting. 
For  himself  he  desired  nothing  of  the  kind ;  and 
when  called  to  leave  his  post,  after  discharging  its 
duties  for  nearly  a  year,  he  retired  uncontaminated, 
carrying  with  him,  if  not  the  favor  of  the  opposite 
party,  at  least  their  esteem.  He  had  executed  many 
important  commissions,  having  for  their  object  the 
internal  welfare  of  city  and  province,  and  had  also 
interested  himself  in  behalf  of  the  Middelburg 
school  system. 

Two  orations  delivered  by  Van  der  Palm  in  the 
course  of  that  year  are  before  the  public :  one  of 
them  delivered  in  the  East  church,  by  direction  of 
the  municipal  council,  at  the  beginning  of  the  revo- 
lution and  under  the  influence  of  a  great  excitement, 
the  argument  of  which  is  :  "  Would  we  be  prosper- 
ous, it  becomes  us  first  of  all  to  be  thankful ;  "  the 
other  on  Popularity,  in  which  he  exhibits  its  value 
and  worthlessness  with  justness,  and,  for  those  days, 
with  boldness.  He  moreover  contributed  much  to 
a  weekly,  bearing  the  name  of  "  The  Friend  of  the 
People,"  designed  to  direct  public  sentiment. 

The  Oriental  muses  now  recalled  Van  der  Palm 


1  1  found  among  his  papers  of  that  period  the  draft  of  an  address  to 
the  college  of  representatives,  written  by  him  in  the  name  of  the  com- 
mittee of  investigation,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  which  discusses 
this  point  with  the  utmost  composure  and  mildness. 


52  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

to  their  domain.  In  the  beginning  of  the  year 
1796  a  second  effort  was  made  to  call  him  to  Lin- 
gen,  as  preacher  and  professor  in  place  of  the  late 
Hajo  Mensonides  ;  but,  probably  mindful  of  the  ad- 
vice of  Schultens,  he  declined  this  proposal.  Soon 
after  he  was  called  to  fill  the  professorial  chair  of 
Schultens,  made  vacant  by  the  suspension  of  Pro- 
fessor Rau,  and  declined  by  Professor  Muntinghe. 
This  call  was  made  on  him  in  the  month  of  May. 
To  the  curators  he  wrote  thus  in  reply  :  — 

"  Your  letter,  informing  me  of  my  appointment 
to  the  Professorship  of  Oriental  Languages  and  An- 
tiquities in  the  University  of  Ley  den,  has  been 
received,  and  it  imparts  to  me  as  great  pleasure  as 
the  importance  of  the  station  and  the  consciousness 
of  my  slender  abilities  permit  me  to  experience. 

"  From  the  time  that  I  first  applied  myself  to 
these  branches  of  learning,  I  have  felt  that  nothing 
would  be  more  agreeable  than  to  devote  to  them 
my  whole  time  and  attention,  and  nothing  have  I 
regarded  as  more  desirable  than  to  be  engaged  in 
imparting  the  knowledge  of  them  to  others  ;  yet  I 
have  never  allowed  myself  to  cherish  the  hope  of 
ever  occupying,  in  this  department,  so  honorable  a 
position,  nor  have  I  as  yet  been  so  situated  as  to 
enable  me  to  regulate  all  my  studies  with  reference 
to  such  an  object. 

"  Yet  I  am  not  deterred  by  this  consideration, 
though  most  weighty,  nor  by  others  of  perhaps 
equal  weight,  from  cheerfully  and  gratefully  accept- 
ing the  appointment,  and  assuming  the  responsibili- 
ties which  it  imposes  ;  and  it  will  be  my  endeavor, 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  53 

as  an  alumnus  of  the  Schultensian  school,  and  an 
intimate  friend  of  the  most  excellent  Hendrik  Albert, 
to  exhibit  at  least  a  faint  resemblance  of  him,  (for 
to  cherish  a  desire  to  equal  him  may  be  presumptu- 
ous,) and  by  indefatigable  labor  and  close  applica- 
tion of  mind  to  supply  what  is  lacking  in  genius 
and  learning;.     Farewell."  1 

The  office  which  had  been  conferred  on  him  he 
assumed  the  11th  of  June,  1796,  with  a  discourse 
"  De  Litteris  Hebraicis  exornandis."  Two  years 
later  he  was  invested  with  the  rectorate  of  the  Uni- 
versity, and  resigned  it,  February  8th,  1799,  in  the 
usual  manner,  with  an  oration  "  De  Mohammede 
Religionis  Islamiticse  et  Imperii  Saracenici  Condi- 
tore  "  (Mahomet,  the  Founder  of  the  Islam  Relig- 
ion and  the  Saracen  Empire).  By  this  discourse  he 
produced  in  the  auditory  of  the  University  a  general 
sensation,  both  by  the  choiceness  of  his  language 
and  the  extraordinary  impressiveness  of  his  delivery. 
Most  striking  was  his  eloquence  when  he  employed 
it  to  set  forth  the  eloquence  of  Mahomet,  and  on 
that  occasion  related  the  anecdote  of  Omar,  who, 
having  girded  on  his  sword  to  bathe  it  in  Mahomet's 
blood,  finally  fell  at  his  feet,  acknowledging  him  as 
Allah's  great  prophet.  With  rapture  his  hearers 
eyed  one  another,  amazed  at  the  extraordinary  gift 
of  the  peerless  orator.2 

1  See  the  original  in  the  Appendix. 

2  The  discourse  De  Litteris  Hebraicis  exornandis  is  not  published; 
as  also  that  on  Mahomet.  (See  the  preface  to  Van  der  Palm's  third 
oration,  De  Oratore  Sacro.)  The  latter,  however,  partly  rewrought, 
and  in  part  faithfully  translated,  is  found  in  the  first  volume  of  his  Es- 
says, Discourses,  and  Scattered  Wi'itings,  in  two  discourses,  from  page 


54  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

From  this  period  (1796)  dates  among  Van  der 
Palm's  works  a  discourse  at  the  Christmas  festival, 
observed  with  song  and  music  in  the  Highland 
Church  in  Le}rden,1  in  which,  it  seems  to  me,  he 
has  practically  shown  the  full  extent  to  which,  in 
his  judgment,  eloquence  may  proceed,  without  in- 
vading the  domain  of  poetry.  Moreover,  the  prep- 
aration of  his  lectures,  and  the  exertions  necessary 
to  make  him  again  perfectly  familiar  with  his  stud- 
ies in  all  the  subdivisions  of  the  department  to 
which  his  inclination  and  profession  had  again  called 
him,  rendered  it  impossible  for  him  to  be  otherwise 
actively  employed  in  promoting  the  general  good, 
or  in  extending  the  fame  of  Dutch  learning ;  and 
when  the  principal  difficulties  which  he  had  to  en- 
counter were,  perhaps,  overcome,  his  services  were 
again,  though  in  a  different  manner,  required  by  his 
country. 

The  executive  government  of  the  Batavian  re- 
public appointed,  under  the  title  of  Agents,  eight 
men,  who  distributed  among  themselves  the  various 
branches  of  internal  administration.  They  were 
what  are  now  called  the  ministers  of  the  different 
departments,  yet  amenable  only  to  the  executive 
government.  Among  these  agencies  there  was  one 
of  National  Education,  and  to  its  administration 
were  brought  all  matters  pertaining  to  instruction, 
sciences,  and  arts,  and  in  general  whatever  could 
exert  any  influence  on  the  morals   of  the  people. 

120  to  182.      The  anecdote  of  Omar,  literally  translated,  occurs  on 
pages  177,  178. 

l  Essays,  Discoiwses,  and  Scattered  Writings,  i.  227. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  55 

To  this  office  Van  der  Palm  was  called,  in  April, 
1799,  amid  great  applause  of  many  correct  thinkers 
in  the  land  ;  and  he  accepted  that  important  post,  on 
condition  of  being  permitted  at  any  time  to  resume 
the  professorship,  which  he  reluctantly  sacrificed 
to  it.  To  this  the  curators  of  the  University  gra- 
ciously consented,  "  most  highly  extolling  the  happy 
choice  which  the  executive  government  had  made 
in  selecting  Professor  van  der  Palm,  from  whose 
eminent  abilities  and  universally  known  qualifica- 
tions for  the  promotion  of  learning  and  the  ad- 
vancement of  arts  and  sciences,  as  also  for  training 
the  national  spirit  to  the  practice  of  the  noblest  vir- 
tues, the  Batavian  nation  had  already  been  led  to 
entertain  the  highest  expectations."  He  retired 
accordingly  to  the  Hague,  but  came,  till  the  long 
vacation,  on  certain  days  of  the  week,  to  give  lec- 
tures in  Ley  den,  in  order  to  complete  the  work  un- 
dertaken with  his  students  for  that  term. 

Friends  of  Van  der  Palm  were  not  wanting,  how- 
ever, who,  from  the  interest  which  they  felt  in  the 
cause  of  letters,  or  in  the  welfare  of  Van  der  Palm 
himself,  were  dubious  as  to  the  choice  made  by  the 
government.  Many  supposed  that  he  would  not  be 
in  his  proper  sphere,  and  that  all  the  good  which  he 
might  accomplish  in  a  political  career  could  never 
counterbalance  the  services  which  Church  and  Uni- 
versity had  a  right  to  expect  from  him.1  But  he 
regarded  the  proper  observance  of  the  high  trust 
which  had  been  committed  to  him  of  greater  im- 

1  Respecting  this  matter,  see  the  letter  written  by  Van  der  Palm  at  a 
later  period  to  Louis  Bonaparte,  which  is  found  in  the  Appendix. 


56  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

portance  to  the  welfare  of  his  country  than  the 
flourishing  of  his  beloved  Oriental  literature  ;  for  it 
involved  in  it  the  improvement  of  primary  instruc- 
tion, then  in  so  sad  a  condition,  and  which,  so  much 
more  than  the  higher,  constitutes  the  vital  strength 
of  the  country.1  In  addition  to  this  he  was  chiefly 
influenced  by  the  fear  that  this  important  agency 
might  fall  into  improper  hands,  and  become  the  prey 
of  some  hot-headed  zealot,  more  disposed  to  break 
down  than  to  build  up. 

It  was  in  this  hicrh  relation  that  Van  der  Palm 
was  a  second  time  to  manifest  his  very  extraordi- 
nary ability  to  reconnoitre,  as  with  a  single  glance 
of  his  eye,  the  ground  on  which  he  was  placed ;  to 
assume  by  a  single  turn  the  bearing  which  befitted 
him,  and  by  a  moment's  reflection  to  comprehend 
all  the  means  which  could  be  rendered  available. 
The  dexterity  with  which  he  could  manage  affairs 
the  most  dissimilar,  and  which  had  excited  the 
admiration  of  his  political  friends  in  Zealand,  was 
here  to  appear  on  a  more  extensive  scale.  It  was 
also  quickly  perceived  at  the  Hague  that  the  accom- 
plished Orientalist,  theologian,  and  orator  had  been 
born  a  statesman  ;  and  this  was  apparent  not  only 
from  the  manner  in  which  he  managed  affairs,  pre- 
sided at  meetings,  granted  audiences,  spoke,  or  kept 

1  Respecting  this  point  he  wrote  thus  to  the  celebrated  French  Ori- 
entalist, Silvestre  de  Sacy,  with  whom  he  held  an  epistolary  correspond- 
ence: "In  ilia  enim  institutionis  parte  emendanda,  quam  elementarem 
vocant,  primam  operam  collocandam  putavi,  siquidem  emolumenta 
publice  et  privatim  inde  speranda,  et  reliqua  rei  litterarise  commoda,  et 
magnorum  cum  exhaustse  reipublicae  tenuitate  parum  congruentium 
moliminum  gloriam  longe  mini  viderentur  superare." 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  57 

silence,  but  from  his  entire  bearing  and  demeanor. 
Without  losing  anything  of  his  habitual  amiableness 
and  that  agreeable  negligence  on  which  he  always 
set  so  high  a  value,  he  was  always  and  everywhere, 
even  with  respect  to  his  most  confidential  friends, 
whilst  he  spoke  or  acted  in  his  official  capacity,  en- 
tirely the  minister,  irresistibly  maintaining  his  dis- 
tance, though  one  knew  not  by  what  means.  In  a 
moment  he  was  master  of  the  entire  vocabulary  of 
the  various  branches  of  his  administration,  and  un- 
derstood all  the  requirements  of  a  ministerial  bureau. 
He  secured  in  an  eminent  degree  the  affection  of  all 
his  colleagues.  His  zeal  was  as  great  as  his  ability, 
and  it  was  his  sincere  endeavor  to  render  his  coun- 
try in  this  relation  all  those  services  which  the 
beautiful  combination  of  his  rich  endowments  quali- 
fied him  to  perform.  It  is  only  to  be  regretted  that 
the  circumstances  of  the  time,  and  the  confusion, 
uncertainty,  and  unpleasantness  connected  with 
them,  prevented  him  from  effecting  all  the  good 
which,  in  a  more  flourishing  period,  and  with 
greater  encouragement  and  cooperation,  he  would 
have  felt  himself  capable  of  accomplishing.  The 
extent  of  his  task,  and  what  he  aimed  at  in  under- 
taking it,  are  clearly  sketched  in  a  letter,  written  by 
Van  der  Palm  at  the  beginning  of  his  agency  (June 
26th,  1799)  to  an  estimable  fellow-citizen ;  and  I 
cannot,  I  think,  do  a  better  service  to  the  readers 
of  this  biographical  sketch,  than  to  insert  here  the 
most  important  part  of  it :  — 

"  When  I  accepted  the  Agency  of  National  Edu- 
cation,  one  of   the  principal  considerations  which 


58  LIFE  OF  VAX  DER  PALM. 

induced  me  not  to  evince  an  absolute  unwillingness 
was  the  conviction  that  in  this  office  very  great  in- 
jury could  be  inflicted  on  the  national  culture  and 
morals,  by  rash  measures  and  widely  extended  plans, 
based  rather  on  the  principles  of  a  certain  philos- 
ophy of  the  day  than  on  a  knowledge  of  human 
nature  and  true  philanthropy,  and  the  fear  that 
this  post  might  finally  fall  into  wholly  incompetent 
hands,  should  the  sentiment  gain  ground  that  every 
good  citizen  must  withdraw  from  the  higher  offices 
until  he  should  be  unworthily  constrained  to  their 
acceptance,  or,  as  the  phrase  is,  until  his  services 
should  be  in  demand.  I  was  conscious  that  among 
my  infirmities  was  not  to  be  numbered,  at  least  as 
chief,  the  disposition  to  devise  extravagant  plans,  or, 
having  devised  them,  to  execute  them  at  all  hazards, 
directing  and  accommodating  everything  to  them  ; 
and  it  was  almost  my  highest  ambition  in  this  deli- 
cate and  onerous  office  simply  to  inflict  no  injury, 
not  to  wound  the  venerable  national  character,  not 
to  offend  the  indescribably  deep  -  rooted  national 
feelino-  of  individual  freedom,  and  to  remove  from 
the  minds  of  many  excellent  persons  the  suspicion 
that  this  Agency  of  National  Education  was  designed 
to  undermine  the  influence  of  the  Christian  religion, 
and  as  far  as  possible  to  Frenchify  our  simple,  in- 
flexible nation.  Should  I  have  prevented  this  kind 
of  evil,  and  should  the.  agency  have  been  in  my 
hands  neither  a  scourge  with  which  to  lacerate 
the  upright  heart  of  the  simple,  nor  a  means  of 
causing  the  general  discontent  to  rise  to  its  highest 
pitch,  then  I  flattered  myself  that  I  should  at  least 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  59 

have  accomplished  some  relative  good ;  and  this  I 
supposed  myself  in  a  condition  to  effect. 

"  But  I  will  not  dissemble,  that  my  expectations, 
at  first  so  moderate,  were  subsequently  enlarged ; 
and,  if  they  now  exceed  the  limits  of  my  abilities, 
it  is  chiefly  due  to  you,  Sir,  and  to  other  worthy 
men,  who  thought  me  capable  of  something  more. 

"  In  the  matter  of  national  instruction,  I  flatter 
myself  that  important  improvements  can  not  only 
be  devised,  but  may  also  be  effected,  principally  by 
avoiding  two  mistakes  :  the  first,  that  of  sacrificing 
to  some  ideal  of  imaginary  perfection  the  real,  but 
less  brilliant  improvements  which  it  is  possible  to 
make  (a  principle  that  would  probably  admit  of  a 
wider  application)  ;  the  other,  that  of  losing  the 
good  which  is  actually  attainable,  by  desiring  too 
much  of  it  at  once.  Such  shall  be  the  rule  of  my 
activities  in  this  matter,  and  from  it  I  venture  to 
promise  myself  something. 

"  In  the  extended  department  which  has  for  its 
object  the  practice  of  medicine  in  its  entire  compass, 
and  in  which  so  many  glaring  defects,  chiefly  in  the 
rural  districts,  exist,  I  have  the  good-will  of  many 
respectable  men  in  this  science,  and  their  promised 
assistance  and  illumination,  on  which,  in  the  devis- 
ing of  measures  relative  to  this  matter,  I  shall  be 
able  and  obliged  to  rely  ;  whilst,  in  the  choice  of 
the  same,  I  hope  to  keep  in  view  the  required  cir- 
cumspection and  considerateness  ;  and  I  shall  take 
special  pains  that  I,  who  am  ex  officio  under  obliga- 
tion to  assist  in  removing  empiricism,  do  not  draw 
upon  myself,  though  in  a  different  sense,  the  same 
opprobrious  epithet. 


60  LIFE   OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

"  The  flourishing  of  arts  and  sciences,  likewise  an 
object  of  my  care,  is  perhaps  too  dependent  on  cir- 
cumstances, chiefly  on  those  of  external  prosperity 
and  ease,  and  is  perhaps  from  its  very  nature  also 
too  free,  or  shall  I  say  too  capricious  a  matter,  to 
allow  me  to  promise  myself  that  great  good  will 
result  from  my  exertions  in  this  direction,  much  less 
a  golden  age.  Should  I  have  the  happiness  of  be- 
coming acquainted  with  meritorious  men  who  need 
encouragement,  with  opening  intellects  which  need 
development,  and  should  I  be  able  in  my  relation 
to  be  serviceable  to  both,  I  shall  esteem  this  a  more 
real  good  than  to  give  existence  to  brilliant  institu- 
tions  in  our  fatherland. 

"  And  finally,  to  come  to  the  principal  subject  of 
your  letter,  the  improvement  of  morals  and  the  re- 
production of  our  lost  national  character,  I  will 
not  conceal  from  you,  worthy  fellow-citizen,  that 
the  expectations  which  you  entertain  of  my  efforts 
in  this  direction  have  already  occasioned  me  many 
a  desponding  hour,  as  I  have  too  much  reason  to 
fear  that  I  shall  not  be  able  to  meet  them.  My 
heart  bears  witness  to  the  uprightness  of  this  dec- 
laration, and  that  I,  alas  !  lack  too  many  of  the 
qualifications  most  necessary  to  a  censor  of  the 
nation.  Meanwhile  I  shall  not  despair ;  your  assur- 
ances respecting  the  disposition  of  many  inspire  me 
wTith  courage  ;  our  government,  I  believe  with 
you,  is  well  disposed,  and  will  cheerfully  cooperate  ; 
and  our  national  character  is  not  yet  entirely  degen- 
erated ;  —  there  is  still,  thanks  to  Heaven,  a  wide 
difference  between  Batavian  and  Punic  faith  !     But 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  61 

if,  in  any  part  of  my  work,  besides  the  assistance 
and  favorable  cooperation  of  Providence,  I  need 
also  advice  and  information  from  true  patriots,  who 
know  and  love  their  country,  who  unite  disinterest- 
edness to  mature  reflection,  I  certainly  do  in  this." 

Thus  far  the  Agent  himself.  With  such  purposes 
and  prospects  he  proceeded  on  the  busy  and  in  many 
respects  obstructed  path  of  his  new  vocation.  Fore- 
most in  his  estimation  was  the  improvement  of  the 
school  system.  It  had  long  been  with  him  a  favor- 
ite idea.  Son  of  a  competent  instructor,  who  was 
likewise  author  of  a  prize  essay  on  school  improve- 
ment, to  which,  in  the  year  1782,  was  awarded  the 
gold  medal  by  the  Zealand  Society,  and  who  had 
regulated  his  own  school  in  entire  accordance  with 
the  principles  advocated  in  this  essay,  with  whom 
Van  cler  Palm  had  seen  what  pertained  to  a  well- 
regulated  school,  he  had  certainly  also,  from  his 
earliest  youth,  heard  complaints  respecting  the  de- 
fective laws  of  his  country  in  behalf  of  this  most 
important  interest,  and  to  him  those  defects  had 
been  exhibited.  His  arrangement  with  Lord  van 
de  Perre  contemplated  that  he  should  be  actively 
engaged  in  improving  the  Micldelburg  schools ;  with 
the  Zealand  nobleman  also  he  must  have  frequently 
deliberated  on  this  subject.  During  his  political 
relation  in  Zealand  he  deeply  interested  himself  in 
this  matter  ;  and  I  find  among  his  papers  a  draft 
from  his  own  hand  for  the  regulation  of  the  Mid- 
delburg  school  system.  Also  in  Leyden  he  had 
already  been  induced  to  take  a  seat  with  the  exist- 
ing school  commission.     Called  now  to  make  a  gen- 


62  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

eral  application  of  all  the  wisdom  and  experience 
acquired  by  him  in  this  matter,  the  entire  renova- 
tion of  primary  instruction  was  the  fruit.  Under 
the  administration  of  Van  der  Palm,  by  his  genius 
and  vio-or  of  mind,  was  laid  the  foundation  of  that 
school  system  which,  though  not  yet  perfected,  has 
attracted,  however,  in  so  high  a  degree  the  admiration 
of  foreign  nations,  and  elicited  the  high  and  well- 
known  encomiums,  first  of  Cuvier,  and  subsequently 
of  Cousin.  According  to  the  principles  and  prep- 
arations of  Van  der  Palm,  under  the  pensionary 
Schimmelpenninck,  the  law  of  1806  was  prepared, 
with  the  regulations  afterwards  prescribed  and  in- 
troduced ;  and  these  continued  not  only  under  the 
French  regency,  but  have  remained  in  force  up  to 
the  present  time.  "  The  improved  school  system," 
says  a  competent  writer,1  "  was  the  last  gift  of  the 
Dutch  Republic  to  the  world."  The  condition  in 
which  Van  der  Palm  found  the  schools,  when  he  en- 
tered on  his  duties,  he  has  himself  vividly  portrayed 
in  his  address  to  the  first  assembly  of  school  inspect- 
ors appointed  by  him,  convened  in  1801,  in  which 
he  alludes  to  the  stable  of  Augias,  for  whose  purifi- 
cation truly  Herculean  courage  and  strength  were 
required.2 

1  Van  Kampen. 

2  As  this  address  is,  perhaps,  not  very  generally  in  the  hands  of  my 
readers,  I  shall  not,  I  think,  disoblige  them  by  inserting  an  extract 
from  it  in  the  Appendix.  To  Monsieur  Silvestre  de  Sacy  he  wrote  as 
follows  respecting  the  laborious  nature  of  this  task:  "  Quantum  autem 
indagationis  accurate,  quantum  meditationis  assiduae,  istud  laboris  ple- 
nissimum  opus  requirat,  quamque  difficile  sit  illud  ita  persequi  ut  neque 
conditionis  reipublicae,  neque  difficultatum  subinde  enascentium,  neque 
adjumentorum  quae  extant,  nee  diversitatis  ingeniorum  locorumve  ra- 


LIFE   OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  63 

The  improvement  of  medical  practice  by  means 
of  better  governmental  regulations,  was,  according 
to  his  previous  purpose,  an  object  to  which  he  de- 
voted special  attention.  As  commissary  in  this 
department  he  appointed  Dr.  J.  van  Heekeren,  a 
young  but  eminently  competent  and  meritorious 
man,1  by  whose  cooperation  the  Agent  himself 
quickly  became  familiar  in  its.  entire  range  with 
this  department  of  public  administration.  To  these 
exertions  is  due  the  regulation,  contained  in  the 
ordinances  of  the  government  of  the  Batavian  Re- 
public of  March  20th,  1804,  which  constitutes  the 
unaltered  foundation  of  all  the  regulations  subse- 
quently made  up  to  the  present  time,  and  the  excel- 
lence of  which  has  been  so  evidently  confirmed  by 
experience. 

The  Agent  was  explicitly  charged  in  his  commis- 
sion with  the  care  of  introducing  a  uniform  spelling 
of  our  mother-tongue,  the  regulation  of  which  was 
generally  felt  to  be  a  necessity,  and  for  which  the 
Society  for  Public  Utility  had  already  made  prepa- 
rations. The  Agent  assumed  the  whole  management 
of  this  matter ;  and  the  result  of  his  efforts  and  con- 
sultations with  certain  other  philologists  was,  in  the 
department  of  grammar,  the  work  of  Dr.  Wei- 
land;  and  in  that  of  orthography,  the  treatise  of  Pro- 
fessor Siegenbeek,  prepared  entirely  under  his  own 
eye :  a  treatise  which  secured  in  a  very  high  degree 
the  approbation  of  the  public,  and  is  still  regarded 

tionem  negligas,  repetiti  magnorum  inter  vestrates  virorum  et  haud 
raro  irriti  conatus  satis  superque  demonstrant.'" 

1  Respecting  this  physician,  see  Van  der  Palm's   Incidents  in  the 
Life  of  J.  van  Heekeren,  in  the  Medical  Magazine,  vol.  ii.  2d  article. 


64  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

as  our  code  in  spelling.1  Whatever  criticisms  may 
have  been  made  on  this  code,  and  however  much 
certain  philologists  may  have  supposed  themselves 
not  obliged  to  conform  to  it,  in  a  time  in  which,  in 
the  matter  of  orthography,  an  irregularity  pre- 
vailed of  which,  in  consequence  of  the  little  read- 
in  cr  matter  which  the  national  literature  of  that 
period  furnishes  for  readers  of  the  present  day,  we 
can  scarcely  form  an  idea,  but  which,  chiefly  in  the 
schools  and  public  bureaus,  produced  the  greatest 
confusion,  the  plan  was  a  benefit  to  the  country, 
and  the  execution  of  it,  especially  in  view  of  the 
state  of  the  times,  a  most  meritorious  work,  to  which 
we  would  not  have  injustice  done,  though  the  record 
of  our  encomium  affords  evidence  of  disobedience  to 
many  of  its  precepts.2 

These  are  a  few  of  the  many  obligations  under 
which  the  great  man  laid  his  country  during  the 
short  period  of  his  agency.  It  is  truly  surprising 
how  much,  during  the  year  and  a  half  that  he  filled 
this  post,  was  accomplished  and  begun  by  him,  in 
the  midst  of  all  the  difficulties  and  obstacles  which 
were  laid  in  his  way,  and  the  numerous  trouble- 


1  For  the  history  of  the  uniformity  introduced,  see  the  preface  of 
Siegenbeek  to  his  treatise,  (1804,)  and  Van  der  Palm's  epistolary  pref- 
ace to  a  pamphlet  subsequently  published  by  Prof.  Siegenbeek.  Van 
der  Palm  was  always  a  strenuous  supporter  of  the  spelling  sanctioned 
by  Siegenbeek,  with  reservation,  however,  of  many  liberties  for  him- 
self, chiefly  such  as  were  required  by  the  rhythmus  of  his  style.  His 
philological  attainments  were  very  extensive,  but  he  did  not  from  choice 
carry  his  investigations  into  the  more  recondite  parts  of  etymology. 

2  Respecting  this  point,  (si  tanti  est,)  see  my  views  in  the  article, 
Adulteration  of  Language  and  Spelling,  placed  in  The  Guide,  1840, 
No.  6. 


LIFE   OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  65 


* 


some  solicitations  with  which  he   was   daily   har- 
assed.1 

The  Agency  of  National  Education  terminated  in 
December,  1801,  in  consequence  of  the  constitution 
being  again  changed,  which  was  notified  the  16th 
of  October.  In  accordance  with  this,  the  govern- 
ment appointed  a  council  of  internal  affairs,2  con- 
sisting of  three  members,  who  acted  alternately  as 
president :  Messrs.  Van  der  Palm,  De  Kruif,  and  Le- 
mans  ;  and  a  secretary,  Mr.  C.  J.  Wenckebach,  still 
living,  who,  as  adviser  to  the  council,  has,  to  an 
advanced  age,  been  useful  to  his  country  in  the 
department  of  internal  affairs.  This  council,  after 
the  agencies  had  been  annulled,  actually  began  its 
efforts  ;  and  Van  der  Palm,  under  a  new  title  and 
in  a  somewhat  modified  relation,  prosecuted  yet 
four  years  his  praiseworthy  labors  in  behalf  of  his 
country.  It  was  as  member  of  the  council  of  in- 
ternal affairs  that  he  was  enabled  more  fully  to 
develop  and  execute  his  plans  for  the  improve- 
ment of  primary  instruction,  the  introduction  of  a 
uniform  spelling,  and  the  proper  regulation  of 
medical  practice  ;  whilst  he  again  showed  that  he 

1  After  the  demission  of  the  agent  Goldberg,  (in  October,  1801,)  his 
agency  was  for  two  months  burdened  with  the  management  of  the 
financial  affairs  of  the  department  of  economy. 

2  The  new  constitution,  accepted  in  the  month  of  October,  and  pro- 
claimed on  the  17th,  by  its  32d  article  directed,  that,  to  the  government 
thereby  appointed,  besides  a  general  secretary,  should  be  added  a  secre- 
tary of  state  for  foreign  affairs,  and  three  secretaries  of  state,  as  for 
marine,  war  on  land,  and  internal  affairs ;  or,  at  the  option  of  the  gov- 
ernment, for  each  of  the  three  last  mentioned  a  council  of  not  more  than 
three  members,  and  a  council  of  finance  of  three  members,  with  a  treas- 
urer-general. The  government  chose,  in  place  of  the  three  mentioned 
secretaries  of  state,  a  council  of  three  persons  for  each  of  the  three  de- 
partments. 


QQ  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

was  not  embarrassed 1  by  the  new  difficulties  to  be 
encountered  in  his  more  extended  sphere  of  action. 

In  1805,  this  new  constitution  was  superseded  by 
that  at  the  head  of  which  was  placed  Schimmel- 
penninck,  Van  der  Palm's  University  friend,  and,  as 
statesman,  peculiarly  the  man  after  his  heart.2  The 
council  of  internal  affairs  was  dissolved  in  conse- 
quence of  the  appointment  of  a  secretary  of  state 
for  that  department.  Van  der  Palm  was  for  some 
time  undecided  as  to  the  course  for  him  to  pursue. 
The  office  of  secretary  of  state  he  did  not  desire. 
He  knew  that  there  were  those  who  would  reluc- 
tantly see  him  occupying  that  position,  and  he  per- 
ceived, that,  even  if  no  measures  should  be  taken  to 
supplant  him,  sufficient  had  already  been  done  by 
them  to  prevent  him  from  discharging  its  duties 
with  acceptance  and  advantage.  His  return  to 
Leyden  had  also  its  difficulties.  Rau  filled  the  pro- 
fessorship of  Oriental  letters,  and  Van  der  Palm 
foresaw  an  unpleasant  emulation.  The  administra- 
tion of  internal  affairs  had  also  acquired  a  certain 
attractiveness.  He  wrote  at  the  time  to  a  friend  :  3 
"  Voluntarily  and  involuntarily,  I  had  gradually 
become  attached  to  it ;  I  felt,  too,  that  the  cultiva- 

1  Among  others  has  always  been  celebrated  for  its  excellence  a 
report  prepared  by  Van  der  Palm  relative  to  the  rights  of  the  nobility, 
respecting  which  it  was  universally  admitted,  even  by  the  parties  in- 
terested, that  there  was  no  state  paper  then  extant  in  which  the  sub- 
ject was  so  thoroughly  discussed  as  in  this. 

2  At  a  later  period  he  also  speaks  of  him,  in  the  preface  to  his  Essays, 
Discourses,  and  Scattered  Writings,  with  the  highest  respect,  as  the 
noble  man  who,  deprived  of  the  use  of  his  eyes,  no  longer  needs  ex- 
ternal objects  in  order  to  occupy  his  incomparable  mind. 

3  April  6th,  1805,  to  Mr.  S.  Dassevael,  who,  in  these  painful  vacil- 
lations, showed  himself  an  upright  and  loyal  friend  of  Van  der  Palm. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  67 

tion  of  this  department,  in  this  country,  and  in  the 
circumstances  of  these  times,  did  not  very  far  tran- 
scend my  powers,  and  I  finally  imagined  that  I  was 
not  useless,  and  that  I  might  still  be  able  to  effect 
some  further  good.  Such  were  my  views  of  my 
office,  when  I  labored  for  a  government  in  whose 
employ  no  effectual  support,  little  encouragement, 
was  experienced,  and  in  which  want  of  fixed  princi- 
ples, at  least  in  this  department,  and  an  undue  re- 
gard to  personal  considerations,  rendered  uncertain 
the  issue  of  all  that  was  undertaken.  How  great 
my  attachment  to  my  office  might  have  been,  under 
a  more  energetic,  united,  worthy  government,  in- 
spiring at  the  same  time  greater  attachment  and 
respect,  it  is  not  for  me  to  determine  ;  how  much 
greater  zeal  and  activity  I  should  then  have  been 
able  to  exhibit,  I  have  sometimes  indeed  ventured 
to  conjecture,  when  this  prospect  opened  up  to  my 
view." 

In  this  uncertainty  the  pensionary  himself  de- 
cided the  matter  for  him  ;  he  seemed  to  regard  it 
for  Van  der  Palm's  own  interest  not  to  be  placed  at 
this  time  in  the  foreground,  and  directed  that  he 
should  be  informed  of  this,  with  the  assurance  of 
his  high  esteem  for  his  person  and  character,  and  of 
his  unbounded  respect  for  his  extraordinary  endow- 
ments. His  purpose  was  now  taken.  "  The  esteem 
of  Schimmelpenninck,  and  his  estimate  of  my  mean 
talents,  are  peculiarly  gratifying  to  me  ;  the  assur- 
ance of  this  is  worth  more  to  me  than  a  high  posi- 
tion, even  though  I  might  suppose  myself  in  some 
degree  entitled  to  it.     His  regard  for  me  comprises 


68  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

in  it  all  that  I  desire  ;  and  no  thought  is  more  odious 
to  me  than  that  of  impeding  in  any  degree  the  exe- 
cution of  his  good  and  beneficent  designs,  or  of 
„  proving  an  occasion  of  preventing  him  from  effect- 
ing all  the  real  good  which  the  nation  expects  from 
him,  and  in  which  my  best  wishes,  and,  so  far  as 
my  sphere  of  action  will  permit,  my  zealous  cooper- 
ation shall  ever  attend  him." 

His  residence  at  the  Hague  was,  however,  pro- 
longed till  in  the  following  year,  where,  under  the 
administration  of  Schimmelpenninck,  he  was  fa- 
vored with  various  honorable  appointments.1  At 
his  own  request  he  was  then  released  from  all  polit- 
ical relations,  and,  laden  with  presents  by  the  noble- 
minded  pensionary,  he  returned  to  Leyden  to  re- 
sume his  professorship.  With  calm  self-satisfaction 
he  looked  back  upon  his  political  career,  now  for- 
ever renounced,  conscious  that  he  had  exerted  all 
his  powers  and  gifts  to  administer  the  affairs  in- 
trusted to  him  with  exactness,  regularity,  and  prompt- 
ness ;  that  he  had  given  no  one  just  cause  of  com- 
plaint, but  had  done  every  one  all  the  service  in  his 
power,  and  had  laid  the  foundation  for  a  number 
of  useful  institutions,  which  were  destined  to  be 
transmitted  to  posterity. 

During  his  political  career,  Van  der  Palm  had  on 
various  occasions  manifested  his  magnificent  elo- 
quence, the  proofs  of  which  have  been  given  to  the 
world  through  the  press.     First  of  all  he  ascended 

1  He  was  appointed  secretary  of  a  political  commission,  consisting 
of  Messrs.  Van  der  Kasteele,  Wieners,  and  Six;  commissary  of  the 
work  of  the  Nat.  Library;  etc. 


LIFE    OF  VAN    DER    PALM.  69 

the  pulpit  at  the  Hague,  by  order  of  the  govern- 
ment, on  the  day  of  the  national  festival,  (Decem- 
ber 19th,  1799,)  celebrated  on  occasion  of  the  with- 
drawal of  the  English  and  Russians  from  North 
Holland.  Twice  he  delivered  a  short  discourse  in 
the  general  convention  of  school  inspectors,  over 
which  he  presided  the  first  time  as  agent,  the  second 
as  member  of  the  council  of  internal  affairs.  He 
was  also  heard  more  than  once  in  the  Hague  de- 
partment of  the  Society  for  Public  Utility,  in  which 
he  delivered  his  discourses  "  On  General  Benevo- 
lence "  and  "  On  Self-Love."  1  His  Oriental  studies, 
too,  did  not  wholly  repose.  "  In  the  latter  half  of 
the  year  1804,  when  the  existing  order  of  things  in 
the  commonwealth  was  gradually  tending  to  disso- 
lution, in  consequence  of  which  he  experienced  a 
perceptible  diminution  of  business,  and  when  the 
constantly  increasing  public  misfortune  caused  every 
lover  of  his  country  to  fix  his  eye  with  pleasure  on 
other  objects,  which  offered  more  consolation  and 
calmer  prospects,"  he  felt  himself  irresistibly  con- 
strained to  complete  a  work,  begun  when  in  Zea- 
land, —  the  translation  and  exposition  of  the  prophet 
Isaiah.  This  work  made  its  appearance  in  1805, 
and  convinced  the  world  that  the  Orientalist  had  not 
reposed  in  the  statesman. 

Great,  meanwhile,  were  the  joy  and  approbation 
with  which  Van  der  Palm  was  greeted  on  his  re- 
turn to  the  bosom  of  letters  and  to  the  ecclesiastical 
chair  to  resume  with  zeal  his  earlier  task.     Now  it 

1  Both  are  found  in  the  first  volume  of  his  Essays,  Discourses,  and 
Scattered  Writings. 


70  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

was  more  apparent  than  ever  with  how  great  reluc- 
tance the  public  had  seen  him  in  other  relations, 
and  which  had  rendered  them  incapable  of  viewing 
without  prejudice  the  good  which  he  effected.  To 
King  Louis  he  subsequently  wrote :  "  Since  I  have 
been  released  from  my  political  relations,  and  have 
resumed  my  functions  as  professor,  especially  since 
I  have  testified  by  my  acts  that  I  had  not  forever 
abandoned  the  pulpit,  nothing  is  to  be  compared 
with  the  general  approbation,  I  may  say  universal 
applause,  which  is  lavished  on  me  from  all  quarters, 
as  would  be  done  to  one  who  had  returned  to  the 
path  of  duty  after  having  long  gone  astray." 

When,  therefore,  this  prince  desired  again  to  make 
use  of  his  eminent  gifts,  he  persisted  with  immov- 
able steadfastness  in  declining;  an  office  which  was 
incompatible  with  the  exercise  of  his  professorship ; 
the  evidence  of  this  I  found  among  his  papers  in  a 
copy  of  the  letter  from  which  the  above  extract  has 
been  made,  and  which  I  deem  sufficiently  important 
to  be  placed  entire  in  the  Appendix  to  this  biograph- 
ical sketch,  as  a  beautiful  contribution  to  Van  der 
Palm's  intelligent  mode  of  thinking  and  acting, 
and  at  the  same  time  of  his  delicacy  in  presenting 
his  own  interests.  How  little  the  noble-minded 
Louis  was  disposed  to  misinterpret  this  refusal  pres- 
ently appeared  when  he  constituted  him  Knight,  and, 
after  the  death  of  Rau,  orator  of  the  Order  of 
Union,  to  which  office  he  annexed  an  annual  pen- 
sion of  twelve  hundred  florins.  To  this  appoint- 
ment our  Dutch  prose  is  indebted  for  two  eminent 
discourses,    in    which    the    characters    of    several 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  71 

worthy  patriots  have  been  drawn  as  to  their  prin- 
cipal features  in  the  liveliest  colors,  and  are  thus 
preserved  to  be  transmitted  to  distant  posterity.1 

Subsequently  Van  der  Palm  did  not  engage  in 
politics  further  than  became  him  as  a  good  citizen, 
feeling  the  deepest  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his 
country,  and  as  a  writer,  to  excite  and  maintain  a 
good  spirit  among  his  fellow-citizens.  We  have 
already  intimated,  and  it  is  manifest  in  his  writings, 
how  heartily  he,  after  all  the  miseries  that  our 
country  had  experienced  since  the  calamitous  year 
1795,  rejoiced  in  the  revolution  of  1813,  and  at- 
tached himself,  with  the  entire  nation,  fully  and  sin- 
cerely to  the  sovereignty  of  the  House  of  Orange. 
Of  this  his  patriotic  utterance  in  1813,  his  religious 
observation  of  the  joyful  prospects  of  the  Nether- 
lands, his  poetic  effusion,  "  The  Peace  of  Europe," 
in  1814,  his  sermon  to  excite  Christian  heroism2  in 
1815,  and  in  1816  his  Memorial  of  the  Restoration 
of  the  Netherlands,  furnish  abundant  proofs. 

As  a  loyal,  quiet,  and  contented  subject  and  citi- 
zen, he  lived  in  the  midst  of  his  literary  occupations, 
contributing  to  the  good  of  his  country  from  the 
abundant  stores  of  his  knowledge,  cherishing  no 
wish  above  or  beyond  the  sphere  in  which  he  moved. 
Of  his  participation  in  the  great  political  events  of 
the  past,  or  of  the  high  position  which  he  had  occu- 

1  They  are  found  in  the  following  works:  The  Festival  of  the  Order 
of  the  Union,  observed  in  Amsterdam,  April  25th,  1808.  Amsterdam. 
Memorials  of  the  Royal  Order  of  the  Union  for  the  years  1807,  1808, 
and  1809.    Amsterdam,  1810. 

2  These  are  all  to  be  found  in  the  second  volume  of  his  Essays,  Dis- 
courses, and  Scattered  Writings,  pp.  191-342. 


72  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

pied,  he  very  seldom  spoke.1  He  followed  indeed, 
to  the  close  of  his  life,  the  history  of  the  day,  and 
kept  himself  well  informed  of  all  that  was  taking 
place  in  our  quarter  of  the  globe,  and  in  the  civil- 
ized portions  of  the  others ;  no  word  uttered  in  the 
council  chambers  of  the  nation  escaped  him,  but  he 
refrained  from  a  free  expression  of  his  views  respect- 
ing it,  and  in  the  complaints  of  the  discontented  he 
never  openly  participated.  This  much  is  certain, 
that  in  his  later  years  he  might  sooner  have  been 
seduced  to  give  his  adhesion  to  a  rigid  monarchism 
than  to  any  semblance  of  democracy. 

1  Of  his  agency  he  spoke  only  in  these  terms :  "  "When  I  was  at  the 
Hague." 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  73 


CHAPTER  V. 

Thus  amid  various  vicissitudes  forty-three  years 
of  his  life  had  passed  away.  From  the  quiet  vil- 
lage, where  as  shepherd  of  souls  he  was  charged  with 
the  highest  interests  of  an  humble  country  congre- 
gation, we  have  seen  his  sphere  of  action  limited  to 
a  single  honorable  family.  Proceeding  thence,  we 
have  seen  him,  in  some  respects  uncalled,  taking  his 
place  among  the  regents  of  his  country,  whence  sci- 
ence recalled  him  to  fill  a  professor's  chair.  Not 
long,  however,  is  he  permitted  thus  to  maintain  her 
interests.  His  country  places  him  at  the  head  of 
the  department  to  which  is  intrusted  the  care  of  its 
educational  interests.  In  all  this  he  is  actuated, 
less  by  a  becoming  ambition,  than  by  an  ardent  de- 
sire to  be  useful  to  his  country.  On  the  improve- 
ment of  primary  instruction  we  see  his  attention 
constantly  fixed.  Hitherto  it  has  seemed  to  be  the 
great  task  of  this  son  of  an  instructor.  In  all  these 
different  spheres  his  oratorical  powers  are  brilliantly 
displayed.  In  all  these  various  ways  Providence 
exercises  his  gifts  and  powers,  and  combines  them  so 
as  to  form  that  perfect  whole  which  must  place  him 
at  the  head  of  all  scholars,  as  more  than  a  scholar,  — 
as  a  sage,  who  is  not  only  acquainted  with  books, 
but  with  men,  understanding  human  nature  in  all 


74  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

its  phases,  practically  acquainted  with  the  affairs  of 
life,  and  who,  having  pondered  the  great  problems 
of  human  existence,  has  formed  his  own  conclusions 
respecting  them.  As  such  he  returns,  in  the  vigor 
of  manhood,  to  the  temple  of  science,  and  from  that 
moment  opens  that  period  of  long-continued  fame 
and  honor  which  it  pleased  Providence  to  permit 
him  and  his  country  to  enjoy.  We  shall  now 
endeavor  to  take  a  review  of  it ;  and  in  doing  so, 
we  shall  abandon  the  chronological  order  which  we 
have  hitherto  observed  in  this  biographical  sketch. 

Most  happy  did  Van  der  Palm  feel  in  returning 
to  Leyden  and  in  resuming  his  earlier  labor.  Rau 
had  succeeded  him  as  Professor  of  Oriental  Lan- 
guages, having  added  this  to  his  professorship  of 
Sacred  Poetry  and  Eloquence.  With  him  Van  der 
Palm  made  an  amicable  arrangement,  by  which  he 
himself  took  the  chair  of  Sacred  Poetry  and  Elo- 
quence. He  did  this  the  20th  of  September,  180G, 
with  a  discourse  "  De  Oratore  Sacro  Litterarum 
Divinarum  Interprete  "  1  (On  the  Sacred  Orator,  an 
Expositor  of  the  Holy  Scriptures). 

i  This  was  printed  in  1806.  "In  it  he  marked  out  for  the  ministers 
of  religion  the  only  way  by  which  they  can  attain  the  high  and  holy 
end  of  sacred  eloquence;  the  way,  in  which,  as  formerly,  so  especially 
afterwards,  he  preceded  them  in  the  most  illustrious  manner.  In  his 
lectures  on  sacred  eloquence  he  expanded  the  hints  and  instructions 
contained  in  this  discourse,  illustrated  them  by  well-selected  examples, 
and  thus  gave  his  hearers  a  text-book  of  sacred  eloquence,  which,  it  is 
greatly  to  be  lamented,  has  been  confined  to  the  circle  of  his  pupils. 
Sometimes  he  varied  those  lectures,  by  expounding  for  the  benefit  of 
his  hearers,  in  his  peculiarly  rich,  tasteful,  and  felicitous  manner,  por- 
tions of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  with  a  special  view  to  the  use  to  be  made 
of  them  by  the  sacred  orator.  I  may  mention  for  example  the  princi- 
pal parables  of  the  Saviour,  respecting  which  it  were  also  to  be  desired, 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  75 

His  lectures  were  the  expansion  and  fuller  devel- 
opment of  the  principles  inculcated  in  this  discourse  ; 
and  the  practical  application  of  them  soon  produced 
a  general  sensation  in  Ley  den,  when,  in  1807,  he 
was  appointed  University  Preacher,1  and  from  time 
to  time  delivered  that  long  series  of  sermons  which 
were  successively  given  to  the  public  in  his  three 
volumes  of  "  Sermons,"  in  his  series  of  ten  volumes 
containing  each  six  sermons,  and  in  that  of  eleven 
volumes  containing  ten  each ;  and  as  they  had  been 
regularly  listened  to  by  an  extraordinary  concourse,2 
so  they  were  everywhere  read  and  re-read  with  the 
highest  approbation.3    In  the  delivery  of  them  everv- 

that  his  more  copious  illustrations  of  them  had  not  remained  the  pre- 
cious possession  of  his  private  hearers."  —  Prof.  Siegenbeek's  Tribute 
to  the  Memory  of  J.  H.  van  der  Palm,  p.  9.  Subsequently,  when  again 
filling  the  chair  of  Professor  of  Oriental  Letters  and  Antiquities,  Van 
der  Palm  sometimes  gave  a  single  course  on  eloquence.  The  last  in 
the  University  year  1831-1832. 

1  This  appointment  was  annulled  in  1815,  when  by  the  law  on  higher 
instruction  (Art.  63)  the  office  of  Preacher  to  the  University  was  con- 
ferred only  on  the  theological  professors.  But  in  1821  Prof,  van  Voorst, 
in  consequence  of  the  decease  of  Wijttenbach  promoted  to  the  post  of 
first  librarian  of  the  University,  requested  to  be  released  from  his  ob- 
ligations as  University  Preacher.  Van  der  Palm  was  appointed  in  his 
place;  and  after  some  negotiation,  caused  by  the  multiplicity  of  his 
labors,  (he  was  already  engaged  on  his  translation  of  the  Bible,)  he  con- 
sented to  accept  it. 

2  There  was  perhaps  then,  and  then  only,  some  diminution  of  inter- 
est when  he  treated  consecutively  of  the  life  of  Paul,  —  an  evidence  of 
the  aversion  of  many  to  know  beforehand  with  what  the  speaker  will 
entertain  them. 

3  Several  of  the  volumes  reached  the  fourth  edition,  and  simply  the 
very  great  accumulation  of  them  rendered  the  reprinting  of  them 
unnecessary.  The  ample  subscription  for  the  new  edition  of  all  the  ser- 
mons, in  sixteen  volumes,  evinces,  however,  that  in  spite  of  the  great 
number  of  copies  in  circulation,  the  public  was  not  yet  satisfied. 
Among  his  sermons  he  took  special  satisfaction  in  that  on  the  Saviour 
washing  the  feet  of  his  disciples.  Among  them  were  some  that  no 
longer  pleased  him. 


76  LIFE   OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

thing  combined  to  captivate  the  hearer,  and  cause 
him,  as  it  were,  to  hang  on  the  orator's  lips.  Van 
der  Palm  ascended  the  pulpit  with  dignity,  without 
any  affectation,  with  a  most  simple  expression  of  be- 
nignity on  his  countenance.  He  placed  himself  very 
much  at  his  ease  in  the  pulpit,  without  hurried n ess, 
with  no  ado  in  adjusting  himself,  without  anything 
in  the  least  repulsive.  His  tall  and  erect  frame,  and 
the  beautiful  lineaments  of  his  countenance,  irresist- 
ibly inspired  his  hearers  with  awe.  He  had  neither 
the  high  forehead  nor  the  sparkling  eye  which  are 
wont  to  contribute  so  much  to  the  power  of  elo- 
quence ;  but  his  was  of  such  a  nature  that  an  amia- 
ble countenance  and  a  gentle  look  befitted  it.  With 
him  everything  was  in  harmony.  His  voice  was 
not  heavy,  not  deep,  but  inconceivably  flexible, 
euphonious,  musical,  and  so  clear  and  audible  that 
even  in  the  largest  and  worst-constructed  churches 
no  word  was  anywhere  lost.  Yet  he  made  no  great 
exertion  to  make  himself  heard,  but  spoke  in  a 
rather  gentle  tone,  yet  with  clear  and  forcible  dis- 
tinction of  the  sounds,  and  without  obscuring  a 
word,  or  even  the  termination  of  a  word.  He  pos- 
sessed in  the  highest  degree  the  faculty  with  the 
first  and  gentlest  use  of  his  voice  to  command 
silence  in  the  largest  assemblies.  His  pronuncia- 
tion of  our  language  was  most  agreeable,  and  in  all 
respects  exemplary.  The  distinction  between  the 
lono-  and  short  vowels,  and  all  the  modifications 
which  they  undergo  in  enunciation,  not  to  be  rep- 
resented by  writing,  were  with  him  audible  and 
entirely  natural.     The  true  pronunciation  of  the  r 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  77 

he  had  not ;  but  something  that  was  more  pleasant 
than  that,  —  a  gentle  lisping  reminding  one  of  the 
sound  of  the  turtle-dove ;  he  did  not  give  the  s  its 
sibilant  sound,  but  prolonged  it  rather  more  than  is 
usually  done.  The  idea  of  giving  all  the  written 
letters  a  measured  pronunciation,  of  sounding  the 
n  at  the  end  of  the  termination  en,  (except  before 
a  vowel,)  of  prolonging  the  i  in  syllables  in  which 
it  is  nothing  more  than  a  sJiwa,  of  pronouncing  the 
ng  and  sell  in  a  way  grating  to  the  ear  of  every 
Hollander,  was  never  entertained  by  him.  He  read 
his  sermon,  but  without  difficulty,  after  having  stud- 
ied it  well,  and  written  it  distinctly.1  In  his  ges- 
tures he  was  extremely  simple  and  moderate.  The 
theatrical  was  with  him  absolutely  excluded.  It 
sometimes  seemed  to  his  hearers  that  nothing  ex- 
traordinary was  to  be  perceived  in  his  delivery ;  yet 
it  was  at  the  same  time  inimitable,  and  just  for  that 
very  reason  inimitable,  because  art  was  entirely 
concealed,  and  nothing  seemed  to  be  done  for  effect, 
nor  was  there  any  appearance  of  making  an  effort,  — 
because  all  that  pertained  to  it  formed  a  perfect  and 
proportionate  whole.  It  was  of  such  a  nature  as  to 
be  able  to  maintain  itself  long  in  the  general  esteem, 

1  He  lacked  but  little  of  knowing  it  by  beart,  so  much  pains  did  he 
take  to  make  bimself  familiar  with  his  manuscript.  Yet  he  read  it 
all,  and  frequently  even  his  prayers.  Of  speaking  extemporaneously 
he  had  an  unconquerable  dread.  Even  the  most  insignificant  thing, 
which  was  to  be  said  by  him  in  more  than  an  ordinary  way,  he  wrote 
first,  and  if  an  address  were  unexpectedly  demanded  of  him,  he 
showed  himself  very  ill  at  ease,  —  a  peculiarity  the  more  surprising  in 
a  man  who  in  conversation  could  express  himself  with  so  much  ease, 
perspicuity,  regularity,  and  acceptableness.  But  it  is  sometimes  embar- 
rassing to  be  always  obliged  to  keep  up  a  great  reputation. 


78  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

which  it  actually  enjoyed  to  his  old  age.  His  last 
sermon  he  delivered  on  the  loth  of  March,  1886,1 
in  the  Highland  church,  still  entirely  in  his  peculiar 
way,  and  understood  by  all.  The  pleasantness,  soft- 
ness, and  melodiousness  of  his  voice  were  preserved 
even  to  the  close  of  his  life. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  year  1807  Rau  died, 
also  by  Van  der  Palm  so  eloquently  lamented ; 
and  now  the  professorship  of  Oriental  Letters  and 
Antiquities  was  anew  conferred  on  him,  and  with  it 
his  taste  for  these  studies  and  his  devotion  to  them 
were  again  revived.  He  was  now  the  only  Oriental- 
ist in  Leyden ;  and  it  was  chiefly  during  this  period 
that  he  occupied  himself  with  these  studies  for  their 
own  sake.  The  unfavorable  circumstances  of  the 
times  subsequently  abated  his  ardor,  and  the  entirely 
new  era  in  that  department,  by  which  the  Schulten- 
sian  principles  gave  place  to  higher,  induced  him  to 
abandon  their  further  prosecution.  Van  der  Palm 
was  not  fond  of  the  more  profound,  philosophical 
study  of  language,  and  linguistics  had  for  him  no 

i  The  impression  -which  this  sermon  made  on  me,  chiefly  with  respect 
to  its  delivery,  I  And  in  my  journal  of  that  date,  kept  whilst  at  the 
University;  and  I  communicate  the  passage,  carelessly  written  as  it  is: 
"  Heard  a  genuine  masterpiece  of  Van  der  Palm  ('  Ye  daughters  of  Je- 
rusalem,' etc.)-  Never  have  I  heard  him  speak  so.  His  delivery  was 
uncommonly  energetic  and  powerful.  And  again  the  triumph  of  sim- 
plicity. We  young  men  in  the  matter  of  external  eloquence  are  all 
on  the  wrong  track,  —  that  of  empiricism.  But  we  must  avail  ourselves 
of  its  aid,  because  we  are  onty  half  artists.  Our  simplicity  would  fail 
to  do  justice  to  the  sense,  and  be  unimpressive.  One  must  be  Van  der 
Palm ;  one  cannot  resemble  him." 

He  delivered  no  farewell  discourse.  He  did  not  hold  to  solemnities, 
in  which  his  own  person  must  occupy  the  foreground.  He  once  re- 
marked that  his  life  had  been  too  checkered. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  79 

attractiveness.  He  prized  the  knowledge  of  differ- 
ent languages  for  the  books  that  were  written  in 
them,  and  studied  them  as  much  as  was  necessary 
to  enable  him  thoroughly  to  understand  them,  and 
clearly  to  explain  them  to  others. 

As  professor  in  the  Oriental  department,  he  gave 
principally  three  lectures  of  general  utility  :  on 
Hebrew  grammar,  Hebrew  antiquities,  and  the 
philologico-critical  investigation  of  the  books  of  the 
Old  Testament.1  In  the  last  named  shone  forth 
resplenclently  his  genuine  Oriental  spirit,  his  delicate 
and  poetic  taste,  and  the  entire  excellence  of  his 
rare  gifts.  When  he  was  in  his  prime,  the  seats 
were  crowded.  He  selected  chiefly  the  most  beau- 
tiful poetic  pieces  from  the  sacred  collection,  and 
shrunk  not  from  the  most  difficult.  One  year  he 
investigated  a  couple  of  choice  Psalms  from  David ; 
another,  certain  of  the  most  excellent  chapters  from 
the  Book  of  Job,  to  which  he  was  specially  attached  ; 
a  third,  the  charming  Song  of  Songs  ;  a  fourth,  some 
of  the  most  transporting  songs  of  the  Prophets.  He 
began  wTith  a  review  of  the  entire  passage,  looking 
at  it  chiefly  from  an  aesthetic  point  of  view  ;  and  in 
doing  this  he  placed  his  hearers  just  at  that  stand- 

1  As  long  as  he  stood  alone  in  the  Oriental  department,  he  held  an- 
nually from  six  to  eight  different  courses,  among  which  were  several 
favorite  lectures,  as  Lectiones  CoranicEe,  Oratory,  etc.  He  also  pre- 
sided from  time  to  time  at  public  defences  of  theses  pertaining  to  Orien- 
tal letters;  at  least  in  the  years  1809,  1810.  Also  in  1797,  1799  he  had 
been  thus  engaged.  In  1817  came  Hamaker,  in  conjunction  with 
whom  he  subsequently  by  turns  lectured  on  Hebrew  grammar,  resign- 
ing entirely  to  him  the  Arabic.  Hamaker  was  succeeded  by  Weyers. 
The  philologico-critical  remained  exclusively  the  domain  of  Van  der 
Palm,  until  released  from  it  by  Prof.  Rutgers. 


80  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

point  from  which  all  its  beauties  might  be  clearly 
perceived,  and  where  he  could  thoroughly  imbue 
them  with  the  spirit  of  the  writer.  Upon  this  fol- 
lowed the  grammatical  and  philologico-critical  anal- 
ysis. Towards  the  close  of  each  exercise  he  gave 
some  annotations  in  writing.  It  was  not  of  unfre- 
quent  occurrence,  that  he,  either  for  the  purpose 
of  more  clearly  exhibiting  its  aesthetic  value,  or  of 
elucidating  the  expressions  employed,  quoted  pas- 
sages from  Greek  and  Latin  poets,  or  certain  lines 
from  Bilderdijk.  The  recitation  of  these  afforded  a 
delightful  entertainment  to  his  hearers.1  The  Latin 
he  spoke  with  readiness,  ease,  purity,  and  simplicity. 
Even  in  speaking  Latin  his  own  style  was  to  be 
recognized.  The  pleasantness  of  his  voice  and 
speech,  and  the  urbanity  of  his  manners,  rendered 
all  his  lessons  acceptable.  He  also  took  pains,  or 
rather  it  was  altogether  natural  to  him,  to  make 
everything  agreeable  and  entertaining,  —  following 
in  this  the  example  of  his  beloved  Schultens,2  — 
even  his  drier   course  on    antiquities,  and    that  on 

1  In  his  later  years  this  privilege  was  less  frequent!}-  enjoyed  by  his 
hearers.  Seldom  did  he  recite  any  portion  of  a  favorite  poem.  I 
heard  him,  however,  several  times  recite  the  brilliant  couplets  from  Bil- 
derdijk's  Ode  to  Xapoleon,  —  that  which  begins:  "  Waar  zijn  wij  ?  bij 
Sabeaas  stammen,"  etc.,  with  the  following;  and  a  poetic  personifica- 
tion of  winter,  likewise  from  Bilderdijk,  in  repeating  which  he  became 
very  animated.  I  never  heard  him  recite  anything  of  any  consider- 
able length. 

2  "  And  this  instruction  in  the  first  principles,  which  in  itself  is  so 
dry,  and  often  so  dryly  imparted,  that  lively  young  men  frequently, 
even  at  the  very  outset,  abandon  this  course,  Schultens,  always  the 
agreeable  man,  even  when  teaching  Hebrew  letters  and  vowel  points, 
knew  how  to  render  pleasant,  so  that  his  lectures  were  desired  with  the 
same  eagerness  as  a  festive  entertainment."  — Kantelaar,  Eubgy  on  H. 
A.  Schultens,  p.  26. 


LIFE   OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  81 

Hebrew  grammar,  which  he  has  somewhere  denom- 
inated a  thorn-bush.1  But  even  these  thorns  bore 
flowers.  He  did  not  disguise  from  himself  that  youno- 
men,  at  the  period  of  life  in  which  they  came  to  him, 
were,  in  general,  wholly  unprepared  for  Oriental 
learning,  and  had  a  natural  dread  of  the  rudiments 
of  an  entirely  strange  language.  Nor  did  he  per- 
suade himself  that  all  his  auditors  would  be  capable 
of  following  him,  if,  to  impart  life  and  interest  to  these 
elementary  instructions,  he  should  dive  into  philo- 
sophical contemplations.  But  he  secured  the  atten- 
tion of  his  pupils  by  the  ease,  and,  if  I  may  so  speak, 
by  the  friendship  with  which  he  imparted  his  instruc- 
tions ;  interspersing  short  but  striking  observations 
and  unexpected  comparisons  from  the  languages  with 
which  they  were  acquainted,  and  introducing  now 
and  then  a  short  anecdote,  calculated  to  relax  the 
mind.  He  knew  how  to  impart  to  the  lecture-room 
an  air  of  sociability.  To  this  his  serene,  mild  phys- 
iognomy contributed  not  a  little.  One  was  irresist- 
ibly drawn  to  him.  In  addition  to  this  he  treated, 
even  to  the  latest  period  of  his  life,  an  audience  of 
students  with  the  greatest  courtesy.  He  was  very 
punctual  in  opening  and  closing,  very  moderate  and 
regular  in  dictating,  and  in  receiving  their  responses, 
anticipating,  easy,  gladly  sparing  them  all  from 
making  an  indifferent  figure.2 

And  out  of  the  lecture-room !     Never  certainly 
has  any  university  enjoyed  the  services  of  a  pro- 

1  Eulogy  on  Lord  van  de  Perre. 

2  Respecting  the  methodus  docendi  pursued  by  Van  der  Palm,  com- 
pare Prof,  van  Hengel's  Meritorum  «/*»•  E01-  v.  d.  Palm  Commemoratio 
Brevis,  pp.  17,  18. 


82  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

fessor  who  manifested  so  much  friendliness  and  cord- 
iality to  his  pupils,  and  to  students  in  general.  All 
that  was  possible  he  did,  if  they  placed  themselves  at 
all  in  his  way,  to  encourage  them  in  their  studies ;  to 
honor  them  for  whatever  good  they  possessed,  and 
in  every  way  to  manifest  his  interest  in  them  ;  to 
render  them  all  the  assistance  in  his  power.  It 
was  only  necessary  that  there  should  be  something 
to  recommend  a  young  man,  —  it  might  be  that  his 
name  was  dear  to  Van  der  Palm,  as  being  that  of 
an  old  University  friend  or  former  pupil ;  or  it 
might  be  his  eminent  ability,  or  his  great  desire  to 
learn ;  or  some  innate  quality  of  the  heart,  or  nat- 
ural endowment  of  the  mind ;  or  his  faithful  atten- 
dance on  the  lectures,  his  modesty  and  agreeable- 
ness  in  social  intercourse,  —  to  awaken  the  interest 
and  secure  the  prepossession  of  the  kind-hearted 
and  benevolent  man.  And  if  one  really  pleased  him, 
then  he  was  invited  to  his  house,  entertained, 
treated  with  every  attention,  and,  having  passed 
through  all  the  successive  stages  of  friendly  interest, 
he  was  finally  regarded  as  one  of  the  family.  Then 
Van  der  Palm  knew  how  to  convert  the  awe  that 
was  felt  into  love,  and  to  efface  every  impression 
besides  that  of  his  never-to-be-forgotten  friendliness  ; 
so  that  it  was  almost  necessary  to  open  one's  books 
to  be  fully  penetrated  with  a  sense  of  his  greatness, 
and  to  wonder  anew  at  one's  familiarity  with  the 
excellent  man.  And  if  a  student  showed  himself 
worthy  of  his  love,  and  continued  to  do  so,  then  he 
neglected  no  opportunity  of  manifesting  to  him  and 
to   others   how  highly  he   esteemed   him.     If  the 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  83 

friendship  grew  to  this  degree  of  intimacy,  then 
vast  instruction  was  to  be  gained  from  him.  Not 
that  he  out  of  the  lecture-room  ever  placed  himself 
determinately  in  the  instructor's  chair,  or  betrayed 
any  effort  to  render  his  conversation  interesting, 
useful,  instructive.  But  never  did  he  neglect  the 
opportunity  to  give  a  salutary  and  impressive  hint 
relative  to  study  and  taste,  especially  to  conduct, 
deportment  in  society,  and  the  true  wisdom  of  life. 
However  carelessly  these  hints  were  thrown  out, 
they  could  not  possibly  escape  the  notice  of  those 
who  were  desirous  of  improvement. 

The  number  of  students  who  feel  themselves 
under  obligations  to  Van  der  Palm  is  great.  There 
were  none  among  all  his  pupils,  to  whom,  if  they 
desired  it  and  were  worthy  of  it,  he  did  not  show 
himself  the  benevolent  man,  in  every  respect,  even 
with  regard  to  difficulties  which  he  could  relieve  by 
abating,  or  remitting  lecture-fees,  or  if  they  needed 
encouragement  in  passing  through  their  examina- 
tions, or  his  influence  in  procuring  a  situation  cor- 
respondent with  their  merits.  During  the  many 
years  that  he  filled  the  professorial  chair  in  Ley- 
den,  even  to  his  death,  he  always  had  about  him  a 
successive  circle  of  intimates,  who  saw  and  heard 
him  in  all  his  amiableness  and  real  greatness,  and 
whose  memories  will  not  only  confirm  what  is  said 
in  these  pages,  but  will  also  supply  what  is  lacking. 
So  far  as  I  am  concerned,  I  have  great  reason  to 
fear  that  far  too  little  has  been  said,  either  to  give 
a  distinct  and  true  delineation  of  his  character,  or 
to  meet  the  demands  of  personal  gratitude. 


84  LIFE   OF   VAN   DER  PALM. 

But  why  does  the  difficult  task  of  preparing  this 
biographical  sketch  devolve  upon  me  ?  Why  did  it 
not  please  Providence  to  permit  the  noble  Van  der 
Palm  to  leave  one  of  his  four  sons  behind  him,  who, 
resembling  him  in  disposition,  formed  by  him  from 
childhood,  might  have  been  able  to  perform  it  more 
worthily,  and  entirely  in  his  spirit  ?  Such  was  not 
the  Divine  will.  Once,  indeed,  it  seemed  as  if  this 
might  be  the  case.  The  worthy  man  had  lost  two 
sons  at  a  very  early  age ;  the  third  had  perished 
in  the  terrible  calamity  that  befell  Leyden,  in  the 
year  1807,  under  the  falling  beam  of  a  school  edi- 
fice ; x  but  the  fourth  had  been  rescued  from  the 
burning  ruins  of  another  school,  to  be  for  a  time 
the  delight  of  his  life,  but,  alas  !  not  the  stay  of 
his  old  ao;e.  It  was  the  one  whom  he  had  named 
Hendrik  Albert  Schultens,  from  gratitude  to  that 
great  man  and  respect  for  his  memory.  He  had 
already  reached  his  eighteenth  year,  and  was  full 
grown ;  he  had  always  been  the  joy  of  his  parents, 
because  of  the  simplicity  of  his  character  and  the 
purity  of  his  morals.  Never  had  he  caused  them 
any  grief  whatever,  and  enviable  are  the  encomi- 
ums bestowed  on  him  by  his  afflicted  father.  He 
already  enjoyed  the  satisfaction  of  numbering  him 
among  his  pupils,  as  he  had  consecrated  himself  to 
the  cultivation  of  letters  and  theology  ;  and  not 
only  of  numbering  him  among  them,  but  of  seeing 
him  distinguish  himself.     Then,  by  a  violent  ner- 

1  The  first  was  still-born,  May  4th,  1789.  The  second  died  before  his 
baptism,  in  November,  1797.  The  third,  who,  with  another  child,  per- 
ished in  the  school  of  the  Widow  Schneither  by  the  falling  of  a  beam, 
in  the  year  1807,  was  bora  November  28th,  1798,  and  was  thus  nine 
years  old. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DEE  PALM.  85 

vous  fever,  lie  was  snatched  away  within  nine  days.1 
It  was  a  very  sore  trial.  But  it  was  this  which 
placed  all  the  greatness  and  inward  piety  of  Van 
der  Palm's  soul  in  a  glorious  light.  During  the 
sickness  of  the  beloved  of  his  heart,  and  as  the  dan- 
gerous symptoms  increased,  he  was  agitated,  per- 
plexed ;  whilst  he  was  dying,  he  suffered  incon- 
ceivably. Strength  failed  him  to  be  present  at  his 
last  gasp.  But  as  soon  as  the  dear  son  had  breathed 
his  last,  the  father  was  seen  to  return  to  his  death- 
bed another  man,  all  composure  and  Christian  sub- 
mission. He  kneeled  beside  the  corpse  and  uttered 
the  words  of  Job :  "  The  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord 
hath  taken  away ;  blessed  be  the  name  of  the 
Lord."  The  Lord  strengthened  him.  He  com- 
forted himself  with  the  consolation  of  the  gospel,  in 
the  humble  confidence  that  God  had  taken  his  dear 
child  to  himself  because  of  the  merits  of  his  Son, 
and  washed  in  his  blood.  "  Perhaps,"  said  he,  "  the 
measure  of  my  earthly  felicity,  even  now,  with  and 
after  his  loss,  greater  than  I  can  acknowledge  by  the 
most  fervent  gratitude,  would  have  been  too  great 
for  the  lot  of  a  mortal."  In  this  frame  of  mind  he 
buried  him  in  Katwijk's  down,  and  the  bereaved 
father  soon  obtained  strength  to  resume  his  labors. 
Presently  appeared  the  ninth  volume  of  his  "  Bible 
for  Youth,"  with  a  preface,  written  December  4th, 
1819,  and  thus  scarcely  three  weeks  after  the  death 
of  his  son,  in  which  he  erected  to  him  a  monument, 
in  such  a  manner  as  Van  der  Palm  could  do  it.2 

1  November  14th,  1819. 

2  See  the  preface,  in  which  the  character  and  capacity  of  the  distin- 


86  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

Still,  this  wound  always  continued  to  bleed.  With 
an  affecting  tenderness  he  cherished  the  memory  of 
him  who  had  fallen  asleep,  and  preserved  all  the 
small  articles  that  had  belonged  to  him  with  the  ut- 
most care.  This  affliction  was  without  doubt  the 
greatest  and  most  painful  of  his  whole  life.  I  have 
always  imagined  that  in  his  love  for  the  young 
there  was  a  silent  honoring  of  the  memory  of  his 
beloved  Hendrik. 

In  the  University  year  1818-1819,  Van  der 
Palm  rilled  the  office  of  Rector.  He  was  not  happy 
in  it,  as  just  in  that  period  the  disputes  of  the 
students  were  revived,  relative  to  that  perpetual 
apple  of  discord,  the  initiation.  This  drew  him 
into  verv  disagreeable,  long-continued,  and  in  real- 
ity  insignificant  negotiations,  which,  in  connection 
with  his  manifold  official  and  other  employments, 
were  too  oppressive  to  him.  He  resigned  the  rec- 
torate  with  a  discourse  "  De  Imperatore  Ali  Abu- 
Talebi  filio,  Saracen orum  Principum  maximo  "  (On 
Ali  the  son  of  Abu-Talebi,  greatest  of  the  Sara- 
cen Princes).1 

guished  youth  are  fully  sketched.  In  this  great  loss  experienced  by 
Van  der  Palm,  the  whole  country,  it  may  be  said,  deeply  participated. 
A  small  collection  of  verses  on  occasion  of  the  funeral  of  Hendrik 
Albert,  was  printed  for  the  friends.  In  the  Appendix  I  communicate 
the  address  with  which  Van  der  Palm  after  this  loss  reopened  his 
lectures. 

1  This  discourse  has  been  published.  Beautiful  and  entirely  in  the 
spirit  of  Van  der  Palm  is  the  manner  in  which,  in  addressing  the  stu- 
dents, he  makes  mention  of  their  strifes,  without  making  more  of  them 
than  he  deems  compatible  with  his  dignity.  "  Postremo  vos  mihi  com- 
pellandi  estis,  Ornatissimi  juvenes!  in  quibus  maxima  est  et  esse 
debet  Academise  gloria.  Quam  bonesta  sit  inter  vos  studiorum 
aemulatio,  mox  apparebit,  cum  septem  e  vobis  in  literario  certamine 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  87 

In  the  year  1833,  having  attained  the  age  of 
seventy,  he  was,  as  was  due  him,  declared  Emeritus, 
but  still  continued  his  lectures,  which,  by  an  arrange- 
ment with  Professor  Hamaker,  had  already  experi- 
enced some  diminution.  Three  years  later,  weighed 
down  by  the  loss  of  an  eminently  beloved  daughter,1 
who  supplied  to  him  the  place  of  his  consort,  who  died 
the  year  before,  by  the  advice  of  kind  friends,  he  de- 
termined to  resign  the  office  of  University  preacher, 
"which,"  he  wrote  to  the  Curators,  "is  too  onerous 
for  me.  Relieved  of  this  burden,  it  will  be  more 
practicable  for  me  to  continue  my  remaining  labor, 
and  my  lectures,  indicated  in  the  series  lectionum, 
with  all  the  fidelity  and  zeal  of  which  I  shall  be 
capable."  These  he  continued  till  1838,  when  Pro- 
fessor Rutgers  relieved  him  of  the  last  labor  which 
he  performed  for  the  benefit  of  the  youth  of  the 
University.  And  however  much  he  needed  rest, 
yet  the  relinquishment  of  his  work  cost  him  an 
inward  struggle. 

victoribus  pnemia  distribuam.  Sed  certo  scid  neminem  esse  in  hoc 
Professorum  ordine,  qui  non  quisque  plurimos  hie  cernat  discipulos 
quovis  doctrinse  prsemio  dignos:  mihi  certe  ea  contingit  voluptas  felici- 
tasque.  Macti  igitur  estote  virtute  atque  eruditione.  Nullaque  porro, 
nulla  umquam  inter  vos  intercedat,  prceterquam  de  doctrince  honore  cou- 
certatio ! " 

i  Elizabeth  Henriette  van  der  Palm,  a  highly  gifted  and  virtuous 
woman,  possessed  of  great  wit,  died  June  26th,  1836,  at  the  age  of  forty- 
two. 


88  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

During  the  whole  period  which  we  have  now 
reviewed  with  respect  to  Van  der  Palm's  labors  as 
Professor,  not  only  did  the  students,  not  only  did 
the  University  circle,  reap  the  fruits  of  his  untiring 
zeal  and  rarely  equalled  gifts,  the  public  also  shared 
in  them,  and  enjoyed  them  abundantly.  It  was  not 
Van  der  Palm's  ambition  to  shine  by  his  writings 
in  the  select  and  exclusive  circle  of  the  strictly 
learned  world,  and  to  astonish  it  from  time  to  time 
by  new  proofs  of  profound  study.  It  was  his  desire 
to  apply  the  knowledge  acquired  by  him  to  the  pro- 
motion of  the  general  good.  For  the  attainment 
of  such  an  object  he  possessed  in  his  eminent  and 
varied  qualifications  more  ample  resources  than  any 
other  person  ;  here  lay  his  talent  and  strength  ;  for 
this  his  whole  training  and  education  had  served  to 
fit  him.  He  understood  perfectly  the  wants,  the 
taste,  and  the  language  of  his  nation.  He  knew 
how  to  provide  for  the  first,  to  direct  the  second, 
and  to  impart  to  the  last  entirely  new  attractions. 
To  attach  his  countrymen  to  their  God  and  their 
duty  ;  to  elucidate  the  sacred  Oracles,  and  to  pro- 
mote the  reading  of  them,  in  a  period  in  which  men 
were  becoming  estranged  from  them ;  to  exhibit  a 
pure  and  lovely  code   of  morals,  and  to  render  it 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  89 

attractive  by  the  manner  in  which  it  was  presented  ; 
to  excite  and  direct  patriotic  sentiments  ;  to  purify 
and  refine  the  taste  for  the  beautiful ;  —  these  were 
the  objects  which  he  felt  himself  called  and  qualified 
to  advance ;  all  his  studies,  all  his  experiences,  all 
his  reflections,  he  desired  to  place  under  contribu- 
tion for  the  promotion  of  these  objects ;  but  always 
with  concealment  of  all  learning,  with  entire  free- 
dom from  egotism.  Little  as  embellishment  of  style 
and  profusion  of  rhetorical  figures  are  to  be  met 
with  in  his  works,  just  as  little  is  concession  to  be 
found  to  the  ostentation  of  learning  or  the  abstruse- 
ness  of  philosophy.  They  do  not  seem  to  have  been 
written  in  the  seclusion  of  the  study  ;  only  the 
scholar  and  the  philosopher  look  through  the  friend- 
ly veil  and  recognize  their  master. 

The  first  gift  which  (besides  the  edition  of  his 
sermons)  his  country  received  from  Van  der  Palm, 
after  he  had  returned  from  his  political  career,  was 
his  "  Solomon,"  a  moral  weekly,  for  which  the  prov- 
erbs of  the  wise  king  served  as  the  guiding  thread, 
and  in  which  their  aesthetic  and  exegetical  contem- 
plation go  hand  in  hand  with  their  practical  applica- 
tion. For  a  long  time  he  had  bestowed  his  Unguis- 
tic  and  literary  labor  on  that  book  of  the  Bible ; 
now  the  fruit  of  it  was  offered  to  the  public  in  a 
manner  which  elicited  general  interest  and  secured 
great  approbation.  Three  hundred  and  nineteen 
essays  followed  each  other  in  succession,  and  were 
read  with  the  greatest  avidity.  They  constitute 
seven  volumes  of  ordinary  size,  of  which  two  large 
editions  have  been  subsequently  issued.    The  author 


90  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

commenced  in  the  year  1808  with  the  tenth  chapter, 
and  concluded  in  1816  with  the  sixteenth  verse  of 
the  twenty-second  chapter,  with  the  welcome  prom- 
ise of  "  returning  in  process  of  time  to  what  still 
remained  of  the  Book  of  Proverbs,  and  leaving 
nothing  untouched  of  this  excellent  memorial  of  an- 
tiquity." In  the  preface  to  the  second  edition,  he 
speaks  of  his  "  Solomon  "  as  being  the  one  for  which 
he  had  the  most  heart  of  any  of  his  works.  And 
this  preference  is  to  be  ascribed  to  its  diverse  and 
numerous  tendencies,  which  gave  him  opportunity 
for  the  richest  variety ;  to  the  inconceivable  labor 
bestowed  on  its  substratum,  the  exegesis  ;  and  to  the 
pleasure  and  satisfaction  it  afforded  him.  The  ex- 
quisite practical  wisdom,  and  the  profound  knowl- 
edge of  men  and  manners,  which  are  apparent  on 
every  page,  have  always  excited  great  admiration  ; 
and  it  is  especially  in  reading  this  work  that  one 
congratulates  himself  on  the  various  vicissitudes  in 
the  writer's  career. 

In  the  year  1811,  whilst  still  occupied  with  "  Sol- 
omon," he  commenced  a  new  work,  which,  during  a 
series  of  twenty-three  years,  he  completed  in  twenty- 
four  volumes,  —  his  running  commentary  on  the 
Bible  for  the  benefit  of  the  young.  He  always 
took  a  deep  interest  in  the  young,  and  to  the  pro- 
motion of  their  improvement  he  repeatedly  directed 
his  efforts.  "  To  the  inhabitants  of  his  native  city 
Rotterdam,  in  the  midst  of  whom  he  had  passed 
the  years  of  his  earliest  youth,  he  dedicated  this 
work  as  a  token  of  grateful  remembrance  and  sin- 
cere affection."     When  he  began  this  work,  he  had 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  91 

readers  of  from  twelve  to  fifteen  years  of  age  in  his 
eye ;  but  as  he  pursued  his  way  he  in  some  degree 
lost  sight  of  them,  which  he  atones  for  in  the  pref- 
ace to  the  last  volume  by  saying,  that,  as  he  contin- 
ued to  write,  he  regarded  his  readers  as  gradually 
growing  up.1  It  is  certain  that  not  one  of  his 
works  has  been  so  great  a  favorite  with  old  and 
young  as  this  "  Bible  for  Youth,"  which  has  been 
repeatedly  reprinted,  and  may  still  be  said  to  be 
constantly  passing  through  the  press. 

Of  an  entirely  different  nature  was  the  work 
with  which  Van  der  Palm  in  the  year  1816 — and 
thus  whilst  "  Solomon  "  was  hardly  completed,  and 
the  "  Bible  for  Youth  "  already  begun  —  surprised 
his  country  :  the  "  Historical  and  Rhetorical  Memo- 
rial of  the  Restoration  of  the  Netherlands."  To  the 
Admiral  van  Kinsbergen  belongs  the  honor  of  having 
elicited  for  Dutch  prose  this  its  masterpiece.  The 
aged  seaman,  burning  for  the  fame  of  his  country, 
had  in  1815  publicly  invited  the  Dutch  orators,  poets, 
and  painters,  each  in  their  wTay,  to  immortalize,  for 
the  benefit  of  posterity,  our  deliverance  from  the 
domination  of  Napoleon.  For  this  purpose  he  offered 
valuable  premiums,  of  which  the  first  was  designed 
for  a  historical  and  rhetorical  memorial  of  this  event, 
in  the  taste  of  the  ancients,  especially  in  that  of 
Sallust.  He  named,  as  a  committee  of  awrard, 
Messrs.  H.  C.  Cras,  D.  Hooft,  D.  J.  van  Lennep, 
and  M.  C.  van  Hall,  who  were  also,  in  case  of  a 
successful  issue,  to  have  charge  of  its  publication.2 

1  Bible  for  Youth,  vol.  xxiv.  pp.  5-7. 

2  See  Life  of  Admiral  Van  Kinsbergen,  by  M.  C.  van  Hall.    Amst. 
1841,  p.  248,  et  seq. 


92  LIFE  OF  VAX  DER  PALM. 

Among  the  articles  sent  in  the  prize  was  awarded 
to  that  of  Van  der  Palm  by  all  the  judges  ap- 
pointed by  Van  Kinsbergen,  upon  which  decision 
all  who  have  a  perception  of  the  beautiful  and  a 
relish  for  it  have  set  their  seal.  In  the  bea-innino- 
of  June,  1816,  Professor  Cras  informed  him  of  this 
triumph,  "  If,"  said  he,  "  it  be  properly  a  triumph 
for  him  who  has  long  by  universal  consent  occupied 
the  place  of  coryphceus"  Previous  to  its  publica- 
tion, Van  der  Palm  was  enabled  in  many  respects 
to  improve  this  production,  as  time  was  gladly 
allowed  him  to  obtain  more  accurate  information 
respecting  many  points  of  the  history.  Messrs.  Van 
Hall,  Walraven,  Cras,  Van  Limburg  Stirum,  and 
Falck  favored  him  with  their  observations.  The 
last-named,  at  Van  der  Palm's  request,  carefully 
examined  the  entire  manuscript,  and  communicated 
to  him  a  great  number  of  acute  observations,  of 
which  the  great  man  in  good  part  thankfully  availed 
himself.  It  appeared  in  September,  1816,  and  ex- 
hibited Van  der  Palm  in  all  his  greatness  as  prose 
writer ;  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  the  ancients,  not 
their  slave  ;  master  of  all  that  is  powerful  and  gen- 
tle in  our  mother-tongue.  The  portraitures  of  the 
persons  acting  a  conspicuous  part  in  that  important 
moment  of  our  history,  for  instance,  those  of  Van 
Kemper  and  Van  Hogendorp,  above  all,  the  delin- 
eation of  Napoleon's  character,  excited  great  admira- 
tion. The  condition  prescribed  by  Van  Kinsbergen, 
that  the  desired  article  should  not  have  a  tendency 
to  revive,  but  much  rather  to  fraternize  the  old  fac- 
tions, was  fully  met. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  93 

* 

From  that  moment  it  was  a  favorite  idea  of  Cras 
that  Van  der  Palm,  having  succeeded  so  well  in  this 
tableau  from  our  contemporaneous,  should  treat  in  a 
similar  manner  some  portion  of  our  earlier  history, 
and  he  frequently  alluded  to  it  in  his  letters.  To 
hints  of  this  kind,  however,  the  great  writer  never 
gave  ear ;  the  Memorial  of  the  Restoration  of 
the  Netherlands  must  stand  alone,  unequalled.  He 
knew  well  how  hazardous  would  be  the  attempt,  if 
not  to  surpass,  at  least  to  equal  himself.  He  had, 
moreover,  during  his  whole  life  proposed  to  himself 
another  task,  which  he  now  prepared  to  undertake,  — 
a  renovated  translation  of  all  the  books  of  the  Old 
and  the  New  Testament. 

Courage  was  certainly  needed  for  such  an  under- 
taking  at  the  age  of  fifty-five,  but  the  full  maturity 
of  that  age  seemed  to  him  to  be  a  requirement  for 
such  a  work.  That  which  he  desired  to  bring  to- 
gether for  the  explication  and  elucidation  of  the 
Book  of  books  must  be  the  fruit  of  the  labor  of  a 
whole  life  ;  of  all  that  his  vocation  had  required 
him  to  investigate,  and  of  all  the  useful  and  impor- 
tant information  which  he  had  been  able  to  collect 
in  the  various  circumstances  of  his  life.1  "  Famil- 
iarity with  the  Oriental  mode  of  thought  and  ex- 
pression, prevailing  equally  in  both  portions  of  the 
Bible,  and  with  the  languages  in  which  both  are 
written ;  a  certain  ease  in  placing  myself  in  the 
sense  and  style  of  the  biblical  writers,  and  the  con- 
sciousness that  I  aim  at  delivering  nothing  of  my 

1  See  the  Dedication  to  his  Majesty  the  King,  placed  before  the 
work. 


94  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

own,  nothing  but  the  Word  of  God,  but  above  all, 
reliance  on  the  assistance  of  the  Almighty,  moved 
by  whose  Spirit  the  holy  men  spake,  are  the 
grounds  on  which  I  boldly  undertake  this  great 
work,  and  dare  expect  that  all  who  are  acquainted 
wTith  me  and  my  writings  will  aid  in  the  furtherance 
of  my  object."  1  Its  execution,  he  foresaw,  would,  at 
least  for  the  first  three  years,  require  a  great  sacri- 
fice of  time  and  pleasure ;  but  if  permitted  to  rejoice 
in  the  continuance  of  health  and  strength  of  body 
and  mind,  he  regarded  it  with  tranquil  assurance  as 
practicable,  and  if  successful  the  satisfaction  and  ad- 
vantage would  richly  repay  what  he  had  expended 
on  it.2 

The  prospectus  appeared  in  1817,  and  the  sub- 
scription opened  was  soon  graced  with  a  list  of  two 
thousand  names,  at  the  head  of  which  stood  those 
of  the  princely  personages,  and  in  its  midst  were 
seen  those  of  the  most  learned,  scientific,  and  en- 
lightened men.3  In  1818  the  first  portion  of  it  was 
issued,  with  a  letter  to  the  Synod  instead  of  a  pref- 
ace, in  which  the  principles  and  views  according  to 
which  the  writer  had  proceeded  were  indicated  and 
illustrated.  The  others  followed  in  1819, 1820, 1822, 
1823,  and  1825.  The  whole  was  thus  completed 
in  seven  years.     In  1829  and  1830,  the  edition  of 

1  Prospectus. 

2  From  a  familiar  letter. 

3  The  number  of  subscribers  increased  to  full  3000.  The  edition  was 
one  of  3387  copies,  which  were  all  sold.  Of  the  second  edition,  in  oc- 
tavo, about  3000  copies  have  been  circulated,  and  full  1700  of  the  notes 
in  8vo.  This  edition  appeared  from  1827  to  1830;  the  notes  from  1831 
to  1835 ;  Apocryphal  books,  1838. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  95 

the  Apocryphal  books  of  the  Old  Testament  ren- 
dered the  work  on  that  side  also  complete. 

One  is  justly  amazed  at  such  a  gigantic  labor, 
brought  to  its  completion  in  so  short  a  period,  whilst 
the  same  man  gave  seven  or  eight  lectures  weekly, 
and  performed  all  the  duties  of  his  professorship  ; 
from  1818  to  1819  also  discharged  those  of  the  rec- 
torate ;  whilst  he  preached  several  times  a  year,  was 
useful  in  various  relations,  and  published  more  than 
one  other  work.  It  is  true,  much  of  it  had  been 
previously  wrought.  The  plan  which  he  now  exe- 
cuted he  had  entertained  and  labored  at  all  his  life. 
He  used  to  say,  "  I  have  worked  at  it  forty  years, 
and  eight  of  them  like  a  horse."  Ecclesiastes,  the 
entire  Psalter,1  Isaiah,  and  the  greatest  part  of  the 
Book  of  Proverbs,  were  fully  prepared.  But  we 
should  commit  a  mistake  were  we  to  imagine  that 
Van  der  Palm  rested  on  the  fruits  of  his  earlier 
labor  and  investigations.  He  wrote,  for  instance,  to 
the  Synod,  on  sending  in  the  third  portion,  "  After 
all  the  years  of  labor  bestowed  on  the  books  of 
Solomon,  I  still  find  so  much  matter  for  new  inves- 
tigation that  I  am  obliged  to  proceed  much  more 
slowly  than  I  had  anticipated,  as  I  endeavor  studi- 
ously to  avoid  all  precipitation,  though  sometimes 
tempted  to  it."  And  how  powerful  must  have  been 
the  temptation  to  it  with  respect  to  an  undertaking 
in  which  so  great  a  pecuniary  interest  was  at  stake, 
which,  in  case  he  had  succumbed  before  its  comple- 
tion, would  have  been  wholly  lost.  But  just  in  this 
natural  and  acquired  serenity  of  Van  der  Palm  lay 

1  See  the  preface  to  the  Songs  of  David  and  Asaph. 


96  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

the  possibility  of  so  successfully  completing  a  labor 
of  such  formidable  extent.  A  man  of  the  same 
learning,  ability,  gifts,  and  perhaps  still  more  genius, 
if  at  the  same  time  of  a  hasty,  impulsive,  and  ex- 
citable temperament,  would  never  have  been  fitted 
for  such  a  work.  For  it  was  a  wholly  different  task 
to  translate  the  Bible  in  the  nineteenth  century  from 
what  it  was  in  the  sixteenth,  when  Luther,  also  un- 
assisted, took  it  upon  himself.  It  had  now  become 
as  much  more  complicated  as  it  was  then  grand. 

The  family  preserve  the  manuscript  of  this  chief 
work  of  the  indefatigable  writer.  The  manual 
labor  alone  inspires  respect.  It  consists  of  cer- 
tain, not  books,  but  reams  of  paper,  in  small  hand, 
and  very  closely  written.  But  this  writing  fully 
expresses  the  nature  and  disposition  of  the  cele- 
brated translator.  In  the  beginning,  at  the  close, 
in  the  middle,  wherever  it  is  opened,  everywhere 
it  is  perfectly  the  same,  as  if,  by  miracle,  it  had 
been  written  by  the  same  steady  hand,  with  the 
same  pen,  on  the  same  day.  All  the  lines  are  per- 
fectly straight,  all  the  letters  equally  clear  and  dis- 
tinct ;  nowhere  a  blot,  nowhere  a  spot.  From  it 
speaks  the  man  of  order,  accuracy,  and  neatness, 
equally  scrupulous  about  the  style  of  his  annotations 
as  about  that  of  the  text,  and  who  composed  his 
notes  on  the  Book  of  Revelation  with  no  less  care 
than  those  on  the  Book  of  Genesis.  Extremely  sel- 
dom does  the  eye  rest  upon  a  word  crossed ;  for  it 
is  the  manuscript  of  the  considerate  Van  der  Palm, 
who  did  not  put  his  pen  to  paper  before  he  had  not 
only  fully  matured  his  thoughts,  but  also  decided  on 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  97 

the  most  appropriate  mode  of  expressing  them,  and 
who  used  to  say,  u  I  make  the  corrections  in  my 
head." l 

No  one,  indeed,  was  ever  better  fitted  for  the  per- 
fect observance  of  the  festina  lente  than  Van  der 
Palm ;  —  Van  der  Palm,  who  never  arose  with  a 
different  countenance  on  one  day  from  that  with 
which  he  did  on  another ;  who  seated  himself  every 
day  with  the  same  serenity,  with  the  same  comfort, 
in  his  easy-chair,  and,  after  the  most  profound  inves- 
tigation or  the  most  sublime  employment,  took  his 
place  in  the  family  circle  or  in  social  gatherings  with 
the  same  calm  and  serene  countenance,  as  if  noth- 
ing had  been  passing  in  his  head  ;  — Van  der  Palm, 
who,  as  he  was  disposed  to  devote  all  the  time  at  his 
command  to  his  task,  so  was  never  prevented  from 
doing  so  by  bodily  or  mental  indisposition. 

And  whatever  subject  he  treated,  he  maintained 
the  same  equanimity.  It  can  be  perceived  in  his 
style,  even  where  it  takes  its  highest  flight  and  its 
most  rapid  course,  that  the  author  always  holds  the 
reins,  and  remains  completely  master  of  himself;2 
and  we  may  rest  assured  that  the  pages  with  respect 
to  which  this  is  the  case,  have  been  written  under 
no  greater  excitement  than  all  the  others.  As  the 
beautiful  Pallas  came  from   Jupiter's   brain,   com- 

1  Van  der  Palm  never  transcribed  anything,  not  even  for  the  press. 
A  clever  compositor  could  set  a  page  from  him,  of  which  no  revision 
was  necessary,  so  distinct  was  the  copy.  In  the  lithograph  which  ac- 
companies this  work  is  to  be  seen  a  fac-simile  of  a  page  from  the  man- 
uscript of  his  translation  of  the  Bible. 

2  He  frequently  said,  "A  good  style  must  maintain  throughout  a 
brisk  trot,  and  be  always  in  a  condition  to  start  into  a  gallop;  but  must 
very  seldom  do  it." 

7 


98  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

pletely  armed,  so  came  upon  paper  his  masterpieces, 
complete,  just  as  they  must  remain.  He  never 
occupied  himself  with  what  is  called  retouching,  not 
even  when  a  second  edition  was  called  for  after  a 
lapse  of  years.  His  advice  to  young  writers,  a  hun- 
dred times  repeated,  was,  "  Be  careful,  I  pray  you, 
that  what  you  do  be  in  itself  complete,  firii,  like  a 
marble  statue,  on  whose  surface  the  most  delicate 
touch  can  discover  no  inequality." 

In  the  midst  of  this  amazing  industry  Van  der 
Palm  still  found  time  to  extend,  in  the  most  irre- 
proachable manner,  his  fame  as  a  secular  orator. 
Since  1799,  when,  by  order  of  the  executive  gov- 
ernment, he  had  delivered  his  national  oration,  his 
fame  had  been  so  completely  established,  he  had 
been  in  the  eyes  of  the  Dutch  nation  so  much  the 
orator  par  excellence,  that  on  every  great  occasion 
no  one  else  was  suggested  as  the  speaker  of  the  day. 
So  King  Louis  had  appointed  him,  in  1808,  orator  of 
the  order  of  Union.  It  was  he  who,  at  the  time  of 
the  calamity  by  water  in  1809,  must  grace,  by  his 
ever-desired  eloquence,  a  musical  concert  held  in 
Ley  den  for  the  benefit  of  the  suffering.1  When  in 
1823  the  tricentenary  of  the  art  of  printing  was  to 
be  celebrated,  it  was  deemed  necessary  to  appeal  to 
emulation  in  order  to  obtain  a  poem  worthy  of  the 
dignity  of  the  occasion ;  but  for  the  desired  oration 
no  one  was  thought  of  but  Van  der  Palm.  The  fol- 
lowing  year,  it  must  again  be  he  who  should,  by  his 

1  See  these  and  all  the  other  articles  named,  in  the  four  volumes  of 
Essays,  Discourses,  and  Scattered  Writings;  the  article  on  Beeckman 
was  published  separately,  at  Leyden. 


LIFE   OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  99 

magnificent  language,  give  lustre  to  the  two  hundred 
and  fiftieth  anniversary  of  Leyden's  deliverance  ;  and 
in  1825,  as  we  have  previously  seen,  those  who  had 
been  his  fellow-students  at  the  University,  proud  of 
the  honor  which  he  conferred  on  them,  assigned  to 
him  the  task  of  directing  their  thoughts  and  feelings 
at  the  important  festal  commemoration.  At  an  ear- 
lier period  the  society  Felix  Meritis  called  in  the  aid 
of  his  matchless  talent,  on  occasion  of  a  distribution 
of  prizes  to  various  artists,  when  he  expatiated  on  the 
value  to  be  attached  to  the  judgment  of  posterity  ; 
and  in  1824  it  demanded  of  him  the  sad  but  pleas- 
ant duty  of  honoring  with  a  funeral  oration  the 
memory  of  his  highly  valued  friend  Kemper,  the 
delight  of  all  the  virtuous  in  the  whole  country.  In 
1820  the  Leyden  division  of  the  Society  of  Fine 
Arts  and  Sciences  had  asked  of  him  a  similar  tribute 
to  his  beloved  Borger ;  —  no  !  he  had  offered  his 
services,  "  imagining,  that,  if  the  shade  of  Borger 
could  have  been  consulted,  he  would  not  have  de- 
spised him  as  his  funeral  orator,  even  as  he  would 
have  preferred  no  one  to  Borger."  Nor  yet  in 
1832,  when  a  gray-headed  man  of  sixty-nine,  did 
he  decline  the  request  of  the  students  to  pay  a  trib- 
ute to  their  brother  who  had  been  slain  ;  —  a  tribute 
more  durable  than  the  marble  which  they  had  pro- 
cured to  immortalize  his  name.1 

In  all  this,  besides  that  which  secured  the  praise 
of  all,  shone  forth  clearly  the  great  benevolence  of 

1  See  the  Account  of  the  Dedication  of  the  Monument  to  the  Memory 
of  L.  J.  W.  Beeckman,  who  was  slain  as  volunteer  from  the  Leyden  Uni- 
versity, by  J.  E.  van  der  Palm.     Leyden,  1832. 


100  LIFE  OF  VAX   DER  PALM. 

Van  cler  Palm's  character,  which  would  have  ren- 
dered it  far  more  difficult  for  him  to  decline  such 
invitations  than  to  comply  with  them  in  a  brilliant 
manner;  the  same  benevolence,  which,  when  the 
occasion  offered  of  itself,  never  permitted  him  to 
refuse  to  ascend  the  pulpit  in  veiy  many  cities  of 
our  country,  and  even  in  very  humble  villages,  to 
the  no  small  advantage  of  the  poor  of  the  congre- 
gation. As  often  as  his  membership  of  various 
learned  societies  required  him  to  take  his  turn  as 
orator,  he  despised  the  excuse,  of  which  he  might 
readily  have  availed  himself,  drawn  from  the  many 
important  labors  which  overwhelmed  him,  and  man- 
ifested an  entire  readiness  to  perform  his  part.  The 
Royal  Institute,  the  Society  of  Literature,  that  of 
the  Fine  Arts,  in  various  divisions,  that  for  General 
Utility,  Felix  Meritis  in  Amsterdam,  Diligentia  at 
the  Hague,  and  others,  saw  him  alternately  on  their 
platforms.  The  subjects  which  he  selected,  and  his 
treatment  of  them,  fully  portray  Van  der  Palm. 
Everywhere  his  exquisite  taste,  his  wisdom  and 
moderation,  are  apparent.  His  theory  of  life  and 
his  theory  of  art  are  laid  down  in  these  discourses  ; 
and  in  all  he  presents  himself  entire,  without,  how- 
ever, the  least  appearance  of  obtruding  himself. 
Does  he  sketch  "  the  true  nature  of  eloquence,"  his 
oration  affords  a  perfect  specimen  ;  does  he  praise 
the  "  eloquence  of  Cicero,"  every  one  is  struck  with 
his  own  resemblance  to  Cicero  in  all  that  is  praise- 
worthy. Does  he,  with  an  appearance  of  taking  it 
under  his  protection,  pay  a  just  tribute  to  "  medi- 
ocrity," —  perfect  in  its  kind,  adapted  to  time  and 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  101 

place,  sufficient  to  its  design,  not  conformed  to  the 
prevailing  taste,  —  the  writer  is  heard  who  has  at 
heart  the  general  improvement,  and  who,  in  order 
to  be  understood  by  all,  knows  how  to  restrain  him- 
self, to  be  sparing,  to  select  simple  forms  of  expres- 
sion. Does  he  reprimand  "  contempt  and  neglect 
of  the  rules  of  art,"  the  right  is  cheerfully  accorded 
to  him  who  understands  the  great  art  of  concealing 
art  by  means  of  art ;  who  has  penetrated  to  the 
higher  politics  of  art,  and  knows  how  to  avail  him- 
self of  its  most  subtile  wiles,  without  exciting  the 
least  suspicion.  Does  he  point  out  "  certain  requi- 
sites to  simplicity  of  style,"  it  is  as  if  he  would 
exhibit  the  difficulty  and  high  value  of  that  sim- 
plicity for  which  all  the  world  praise  him,  without 
the  greatest  part  of  his  admirers  having  the  least 
idea  that  it  is  anything  more  than  a  natural  gift,  or 
any  suspicion  of  the  perpetual  conflict  that  a  man 
of  genius  and  talents  must  for  its  sake  maintain  with 
himself.1  Does  he  appear  to  speak  "  on  the  influ- 
ence and  value  of  the  external,"  he  has  half  shown 
it  before  he  opens  his  lips,  by  the  pleasing  assem- 
blage of  external  advantages  with  which  nature  has 
favored  him  in  countenance  and  form,  the  propriety 
of  his  apparel,  to  which  he  pays  sufficient  attention 
to  avert  from  him  both  the  appearance  of  learned 
negligence  and  that  of  vain  ostentation,  —  highly 
polished  in  all  his  manners,  dignified,  without  being 

1  "  I  am  always  commended  for  my  simplicity,  —  my  simplicity !  "  he 
once  remarked  to  one  of  his  most  confidential  friends,  after  a  public 
prelection  which  had  again  abundantly  elicited  that  compliment;  "but 
it  is  not  known  how  much  pains  that  easy  simplicity  costs  me." 


102  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

affected,  graceful,  without  being  modish.  Does  he 
speak  on  "  sound  judgment,"  never  has  any  one 
spoken  more  soundly  on  it  than  he,  whose  eye  is  so 
simple,  and  yet  whose  glance  penetrates  so  deeply 
that  he  can  dispense  with  the  whole  terminology  of 
abstruse  philosophy.1  And  where  he  indicates  and 
defines  the  limits  of  proper  "self-love,"  there  he 
becomes  so  intimately  blended  with  the  characters 
which  he  sketches  that  the  nation  needs  on  this 
point  no  other  delineation  of  his  character  than  that 
which  he  has  himself  thus  given.  No  less  right  has 
he  to  speak,  when  he  selects  for  his  subject  "  unity 
and  diversity,"  2  —  he  in  whom  the  richest  diversity 
of  gifts  produces  the  most  uniform  whole ;  or  when 
he  insists  on  the  "  necessity  of  self-knowledge," 
especially  for  the  artist,3  —  he  whose  combined  labor 
so  clearly  exhibits  how  well  he  knew  to  select  just 
that  ground  on  which  he  was  perfectly  at  home, 
with  the  sacrifice  of  all  by-paths,  on  which,  how- 
ever, he  would  have  played  no  wholly  subordinate 
part ;  the  evidences  of  which  we  have  seen  in  the 
relinquishment  of  the  pleasures  and  laurels  of  poe- 
try, and,  at  a  later  period,  in  retiring  from  the  field 

1  To  the  philosophic-aesthetic  contemplations  which  had,  especially- 
near  the  close  of  his  life,  become  fashionable,  he  had  the  greatest  aver- 
sion. "  It  is  too  high  for  me,"  he  frequently  said;  "  I  cannot  compre- 
hend all  that  beauty." 

2  This  oration  is  placed  in  the  Recensent  ook  der  Recensenten,  vol. 
xxiv.  art.  2d,  (1831,)  p.  205.  All  the  others  here  enumerated  are  col- 
lected in  four  vols.     Essays,  Discourses,  and  Scattered  Writings. 

3  A  young  pulpit  orator  once  asked  him,  whom  he  would  especially 
advise  him  to  study.  Van  der  Palm  answered,  "  Yourself."  But, 
friendly  as  he  was,  he  soon  relieved  the  inquirer  of  the  slight  embar- 
rassment in  which  this  unexpected  reply  had  placed  him,  by  adding, 
"  But  this  is  not  what  you  ask.     Well,  then,  Massillon." 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  103 

of  Oriental  linguistic  studies,  when  they  took  a  di- 
rection less  correspondent  with  his  talent.  It  was 
this  self-knowledge,  also,  which  inducer1  him  to  leave 
the  pulpit  before  he  began  to  be  sus  ected  of  a  de- 
cline, the  idea  of  which  always  seemed  to  him  intol- 
erable. His  last  oration,  delivered  in  the  year  1833, 
had  for  its  subject  servile  and  laudable  imitation  ;  and 
as  he  did  not  publish  it,  nor  evidently  set  it  apart 
for  publication,  we  must  take  it  for  granted  that 
here  also  his  self-knowledge  as  an  artist  directed 
him,  and  we  must  guard  against  the  indiscretion  of 
misjudging  him  in  this  matter. 

Affecting  has  always  been  to  me  his  return  to 
Solomon,  after  he  had  completed  the  great  task 
which  he  had  proposed  to  himself,  had  withdrawn 
for  the  most  part  from  the  great  theatre  of  letters, 
and  prepared  himself  for  repose  from  the  academ- 
ical and  ecclesiastical  chair.  In  the  year  1838  he 
completed,  in  a  volume  of  moderate  size,  his  treat- 
ment of  the  first  nine  chapters  of  the  Book  of  Prov- 
erbs, on  a  plan  somewhat  different  from  that  which 
he  had  pursued  in  the  volumes  previously  issued,  as 
was  naturally  the  case  from  the  subjects  treated  ;  and 
he  denominated  this  work  of  his  already  far  ad- 
vanced days,  "  the  fruit  of  an  earnest  endeavor  still 
to  do  some  good  by  means  of  his  writings  in  the  late 
evening  of  life,  in  expectation  of  the  divine  bless- 
ing." The  last  portion  of  the  Book  of  Proverbs 
(from  chap.  xxii.  ver.  17)  still  remained  ;  and  on 
this  he  began  his  labor  in  the  summer  of  1839,  but 
carried  it  no  further  than  the  two  essays  which  it 
has  been  my  melancholy  pleasure  to  communicate  to 


104  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

the  public,1  and  which  "  still  abundantly  evince  that 
the  great  age  of  the  writer  did  not  becloud  his  clear 
intellect,  and  at  the  same  time  that  his  observant 
mind  continued  to  the  very  evening  of  life  to  take 
notice  of  whatever  attracted  general  attention,"  2  and 
of  this  he  constantly  gave  the  clearest  evidences  to 
those  by  whom  he  was  surrounded.  But  however 
clear  his  intellect  remained,  his  productive  power 
decreased  ;  and  in  addition  to  this,  his  sight  began  to 
fail,  and  writing,  which  had  so  long  been  easy, 
finally  became  difficult.  He  had,  however,  become 
so  accustomed  to  spend  the  greatest  part  of  the  day 
in  his  study,  that  he,  as  long  as  he  could  reach  that 
retreat,  remained  there  from  one  to  eight  hours 
daily,  though  he  could  finally  do  nothing  more  than 
read.  There  he  had  sat  a  long  lifetime,  before  a 
small  desk,  in  an  arm-chair  which  was  not  the  most 
easy,  in  the  midst  of  the  large  library  of  the  Schul- 
tenses,3  augmented  by  his  own  collection  of  books. 
The  neatness  did  not  reign  here  which  might  have 
been  expected  from  the  owner;  but  the  confusion 
was  occasioned  by  long  and  frequent  use,  and  he 
never  found  time  and  opportunity!,  nor  had  he  the 
room  necessary,  to  restore  order.  At  his  right  hand 
stood  the  large  fir  writing- table,  which  divided  the 
room  in  the  centre,  and  on  which  lay  the  greatest 
part  of  the  supellex,  the  various  editions  and  trans- 

1  Second  Sequel  on  Solomon,  by  J.  H.  van  der  Palm,  comprising  the 
last  labor  of  the  writer,  and  the  Index.     Leuw.  1841. 

2  Preface  to  the  Second  Sequel.  I  designed  here  specifically  the  di- 
gression on  mnemonics,  anew  brought  before  the  public  by  Montry  but 
a  short  time  previous  to  the  writing  of  those  essays. 

3  He  purchased  it  entire  in  the  year  1794. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  105 

lations  of  the  Bible,  still  open.  Before  him  lay  for 
the  most  part  one  or  more  detached  leaves  from  the 
Hebrew  codex,  and  an  octavo  Bible  by  Keur,  used 
by  Schultens,  and  now  my  property,  a  gift  from 
his  dying  hand.  Above  the  hearth  hung  the  sil- 
houette of  Van  de  Perre.  How  dear  to  him  was 
that  retreat,  and  how  much  it  must  have  cost  him, 
when  he  was,  in  the  last  months  of  his  life,  obliged 
to  come  to  the  determination  of  no  longer  exerting 
himself  to  go  thither.  Yet  such  was  his  strength  of 
mind,  so  entire  was  his  acquiescence,  that  no  one 
ever  heard  him  utter  a  complaint  respecting  it.  But 
as  long  as  he  continued  to  resort  to  his  study,  with- 
out being  able  to  employ  himself  as  he  desired,  he 
was  frequently  displeased  with  himself,  and  he  was 
often  seen  to  come  down  in  the  evening,  with  his 
candlestick  in  his  hand,  as  he  had  been  wont  to  do 
for  half  a  century,  but  now  with  the  words  of  the 
Preacher  on  his  lips,  y^n  Dnn  ^VpS  "  I  have  no 
pleasure  in  them." 


106  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Van  der  Palm  has  somewhere  said,  "  Not  al- 
ways are  the  living  equally  unjust  in  the  estimate 
of  the  great  talents  that  nourish  in  the  midst  of 
them.  How  many  literary  men,  how  many  culti- 
vators of  the  fine  and  imitative  arts,  have  gathered 
a  rich  harvest  of  enjoyment  from  the  esteem,  appro- 
bation, and  applause  of  their  contemporaries,  suffi- 
cient to  stimulate  their  zeal  and  gratify  their  sense 
of  honor."  And  certainly  the  man  who  uttered 
these  words  might  include  himself  in  that  fortunate 
number.  The  honor  which  he  received  kept  for 
the  most  part  pace  with  his  merits ;  and  when  these 
were  at  the  highest  point,  there  was  scarcely  a  man 
who  disputed  what  belonged  to  him,  —  the  highest 
place.  His  name  as  an  orator  has  a  celebrity  among 
all  classes  in  our  nation,  such  as  is  perhaps  enjoyed 
only  by  the  name  of  Vondel  as  a  poet.  Having 
been  brought  into  contact  with  the  most  honorable 
in  the  land  by  his  earlier  relations,  and  descending 
to  the  humblest  condition  through  his  works,  he  was 
everywhere  in  honor.  There  was  no  society  in  the 
University  city  where  he  would  not  have  been  wel- 
come without  invitation  ;  no  citizen  on  its  streets 
who  did  not  raise  his  hat  to  Mijnheer  van  der  Palm  ; 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  107 

no  child  that  knew  not  his  name ;  no  gray-headed 
man  who  did  not  extend  to  him  the  right  hand. 

And  this  universal  celebrity  and  genuine  popu- 
larity found  their  counterpart  in  the  ascendency 
which  he  possessed  over  the  fraternity  of  the 
learned,  which  is  often  so  unfraternal,  in  which  he 
was  by  unanimous  consent  regarded  as  the  first 
among  his  compeers.  No  one  secretly  or  openly 
disputed  the  precedency  with  Van  der  Palm ;  for 
though  one  might  feel  his  superiority  to  him  in  this 
department  and  another  in  that,  all  acknowledged 
in  the  combination  of  his  gifts  and  talents  so  fin- 
ished a  whole,  that  they  permitted  him  to  stand 
alone  on  an  eminence  attained  by  no  other.  Of 
whomsoever  one  might  be  emulous,  Van  der  Palm 
seemed  at  last  above  the  reach  even  of  jealousy. 
His  superiority  in  the  learned  circle  that  sur- 
rounded him  was  like  the  superiority  of  a  father 
among  his  sons,  which  no  one  of  them  envies,  but 
of  which  every  one  of  them  is  proud. 

Universal  was  the  homage  paid  to  Van  der  Palm 
by  men  in  every  department  of  knowledge.  All 
that  used  the  pen  for  the  public  among  his  col- 
leagues in  Leyden  or  in  other  universities,  yea, 
almost  in  the  whole  country,  laid  the  fruit  of  their 
labor  or  gifts  at  his  feet ;  from  the  humblest  citizen 
to  Count  van  Hogendorp,  from  the  least  poet  to 
Bilderdijk.1  Every  one  set  a  high  value  on  his 
judgment,  his  approbation,  his  observations.  The 
membership  of  nearly  all  the  learned  societies  in  the 

1  This  is  to  be  understood  of  the  period  when  a  good  understanding 
subsisted  between  Van  der  Palm  and  Bilderdijk,  up  to  1823. 


108  LIFE   OF   VAN  DER  PALM. 

Netherlands  was  conferred  upon  him,  and  in  their 
meetings  his  advice  and  utterances  had  double 
weight.  The  University  of  Ley  den  conferred  on 
him  in  1812,  under  the  rectorate  of  Brugmans,  the 
degree  of  D.  D.  The  Society  of  Dutch  Literature 
did  itself  the  honor  of  bestowing  on  him,  in  1830, 
a  gold  medal,  as  one  of  the  two  men  who  had,  dur- 
ing the  last  half-century,  laid  Dutch  literature  under 
the  highest  obligations,  and  eminently  enriched  it ; 1 
the  other  was  Bilderdijk. 

He  also  enjoyed  a  foreign  celebrity.  His  work 
on  Ecclesiastes  had  laid  the  foundation  for  this. 
Silvestre  de  Sacy  held  with  Van  der  Palm,  during 
his  first  professorship  and  subsequently,  a  learned 
epistolary  correspondence.  Professor  Bernstein,  of 
Breslau,  Rey,  of  Paris,  and  many  other  scholars,  sent 
him,  regularly,  copies  of  their  writings,  accompanied 
not  seldom  by  the  most  honoring  professions.2  In 
1822  he  received  the  diploma  as  Associe  Correspon- 
dant  de  la  Societe  Asiatique  a  Paris.  It  was  uni- 
versally known  that  Van  der  Palm  was  one  of  the 
coryphaei  of  our  Dutch  literature ;  and  as  such  he 
received  to  a  very  advanced  age  the  visits  of  literary 
strangers. 

When  the  Royal  Institute  was  founded  in  1808, 
Van  der  Palm  was  at  once  appointed  a  member  by 

1  The  medal  has  on  one  side  the  stamp  of  the  Society,  and  on  the 
other  this  superscription : 

TRIBUTE 

TO 

J.    H.    VAN   DER  PALM 

1830. 

2  Thus  Bernstein  denominates  him,  "  Virum  longe  celeberrimum  mer- 
itorum  prsestantia  illustrissimum,  Batavorum  principem  disertorum." 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  109 

King  Louis.  In  the  same  year  he  was  also  ad- 
mitted by  him  to  the  order  of  the  Union,  of  which, 
as  we  have  seen,  he  was  made  orator.  Napoleon 
exchanged,  in  1812,  the  decoration  of  this  order  for 
that  of  La  Reunion  ;  and  King  William  honored  him 
in  1816  with  that  of  the  Dutch  Lion. 

All    this    honor    was    incapable    of   making   any 
change  in  Van  der  Palm's  amiable  simplicity  and 
modesty.     He  bore  it,  indeed,  not  without  a  certain 
loftiness,  not  without  the  inward  consciousness  of 
not   being  wholly  unworthy  of  it,   not    altogether 
without  becoming  gradually  accustomed  to  the  royal 
title,  that  ever  sounded  in  his  ears  in  the  kingdom 
of  letters,  so  that  it  might  have  been  in  some  degree 
unpalatable  to  have  his  right  to  it  questioned,  and 
more  or  less  strange  towards  the  last  had  he  been 
constrained  to  move  in  a  circle  which  did  not  move 
around  him.     He  knew,  as  he  wrote  in  1821  to  one 
of  his  most  valuable  friends,  that  he  was  one  "  who 
in  some  small  degree  upheld,  according  to  his  ability, 
the  honor  of  the  Dutch  language  and  literature,  and 
who    had  exerted  greater  or  less  influence  on  the 
minds    of  his    fellow-citizens."      The   criticism   of 
his  works    he   confided  to  very  few,  but  to  these 
unreservedly,  and  his  own  view  of  them  was  any- 
thing  but    that   of  unlimited  satisfaction.      Of  his 
friendly  delicacy  in  his  treatment  of  his  intellectual 
inferiors,  and  his  respect  for  the  merits  of  every  one, 
I   have    previously   had    occasion    to   speak.       He 
repulsed  no  one  by  a  lofty  or  magisterial  bearing ; 
he  never  preached  himself;  he  never  quoted  him- 
self.    Extremely  seldom,  perhaps  too  seldom,  did  he 


110  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

assume  a  decisive  tone  ;  never  did  he  reject  with 
scorn  ;  gentleness  was  blended  even  with  his  dis- 
approbation of  the  writings  of  others.  All  who 
approached  him  he  rather  elevated  to  an  equality 
with  himself  than  descended  to  them  with  an  air  of 
superiority.  Hence  it  was  that  he  was  not  only 
honored  but  also  loved  by  all  who  enjoyed  his  inti- 
mate acquaintance.1 

I  still  seem  to  see  the  venerable,  gray -headed 
man,  having  just  entered  into  a  promiscuous  com- 
pany, with  his  powdered  head  somewhat  raised,  sur- 
rounded by  men  of  every  age,  rank,  and  merit,  who 
each  in  his  turn  approach  him  with  the  expression 
of  esteem  and  respect  in  bearing  and  tone.  For 
each  of  them  he  has  something  friendly,  some- 
thing cordial,  something  that  imparts  pleasure.  But 
whilst  they  throng  around  him,  his  all-surveying 
eve  perceives  in  the  background  of  the  apartment 
one  or  another,  who,  by  reason  of  youth,  natural 
diffidence,  or  because  wholly  unacquainted  with 
him,  does  not  venture,  at  least  not  immediately,  to 
address  him.  To  such  a  one  he  quickly  turns, 
encourages  him  by  his  soft  eye,  and  shows  him  in 
the  first  few  words  that  he  is  not  so  much  of  a 
stranger  to  him  as  he  may  suppose.  He  knows 
how  to  find  or  make  a  point  of  contact,  and  to 
introduce  speedily  a  subject  of  conversation  in 
which    the  person  addressed  can  appear  to  advan- 

1  "  Senem  —  omnibus  bonis  carissimum,  quemque  nos  omnino  et  ven- 
erabamur  omnes  et  in  oculis  veluti  ferebamus:  "  thus  denominates  him 
his  colleague,  the  most  reverend  Clarisse,  in  his  Prologus,  quo  Jis  Hci 
v.  d.  Palm  exemplum  futuris  theologis  ad  imitandum  projjosuit.  Lugd. 
Bat.  1841. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  HI 

tage.  How  amiable  he  is  in  addressing  the  ladies, 
may  be  conceived  :  amiable  by  his  simplicity,  unaf- 
fectedness,  ease,  and  attentive  interest  to  that  which 
lies  within  their  own  sphere.  The  conversation 
becomes  general ;  he  does  not  make  himself  mas- 
ter of  it,  and  yet  he  is  so  irresistibly.  He  is  not 
only  heard,  but  listened  to.  His  words  are  soft  and 
melodious ;  he  speaks  appropriately,  not  measuredly ; 
courteously,  not  courtly.  All  that  he  says  is  simple, 
and  yet  uncommon ;  his  justness  of  expression  on 
all  subjects,  important  or  less  significant,  is  striking ; 
his  tone  is  gentle,  cheerful,  agreeable  to  all ;  —  there 
is  something  truly  genial  in  his  bearing  and  in  all 
his  movements.  Is  mutual  recreation  the  object  of 
their  coming  together,  he  is  not  easily  allured  into 
the  domain  of  science,  nor  does  he  descend  to  that 
which  is  trifling.  Or  does  the  conversation  take 
such  a  turn,  he  knows  how  to  impart  to  it  in  a 
moment  salt  and  flavor.  With  everything  he  has 
his  little  reminiscence,  his  short  narrative,  commu- 
nicated with  naivete ;  and  though  you  may  have 
heard  it  from  him  before,  as  Van  der  Palm  was  not 
exempt  from  this  infirmity  of  old  age,  he  again 
extorts  from  you  a  smile.  Does  the  conversation 
take  a  more  important  direction,  does  it  relate  to 
more  weighty  subjects,  he  speaks  with  emphasis, 
but  never  with  rapture  ;  his  words  are  few,  but 
comprehensive.  If  the  topic  of  conversation  does 
not  please  him,  he  knows  how  to  change  it,  not  so 
suddenly  and  abruptly  as  to  cause  embarrassment, 
yet  plainly  enough  to  prevent  any  prolonged  resist- 
ance.    The  art  of  remaining  silent  when  he  chooses 


112  LIFE   OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

to  do  so,  without  exciting  the  semblance  of  displeas- 
ure, he  understands  perfectty.  A  little  less  reserved- 
ness  may  now  and  then  be  demanded  of  him.  Woe 
to  him  who  would  entice  him  to  speak  on  a  point 
respecting  which  he  has  previously  determined  not 
to  express  his  views  !  A  slight  mortification  it  must 
certainly  cost  him  ;  but  he  presently  sympathizes 
with  the  sufferer,  and  heals  the  wound  which  he 
has  inflicted. 

Such  was  Van  der  Palm,  —  always,  everywhere 
the  model  of  genuine  refinement ;  always,  every- 
where the  simple,  amiable,  venerable  man.  No  su- 
periority of  gifts,  no  abundance  of  honor  and  fame, 
could  make  him  otherwise. 

But  not  only  were  honor  and  fame  the  fruit  of 
his  meritorious  and  uninterrupted  labor.  It  also 
yielded  him  pecuniary  advantage.  Without  for- 
tune he  had  entered  on  his  career ;  yet  also  without 
solicitude,  knowing  that  he  had  by  the  goodness  of 
God  in  his  talents  a  security  against  want.  He 
attached  no  special  value  to  wealth,  but  regarded  as 
a  necessity  a  certain  competency,  such  as  he  had 
enjoyed  in  the  highest  degree  with  Lord  van  de 
Perre  ;  and  it  was  fortunate  for  him  that  he  was 
not  condemned  to  straightened  circumstances.  He 
was  a  poor  financier,  did  not  approve  of  hoarding 
up,1  and  was  very  liberal.  He  took  no  pleasure  in 
a  magnificent  style  of  living,  pomp  of  furniture,  or 

i  "  The  horoscope  which  I  drew  when  a  hoy,"  he  related,  "  con- 
tained in  it  that  I  should  enjoy  much,  but  accumulate  little."  Extrav- 
agant statements  have  been  made  as  to  the  income  which  Van  der 
Palm  received  from  his  works.  It  is  however  certain  that  it  very  far 
exceeded  that  of  any  other  author  in  this  country. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  H3 

multitude  of  servants.  He  never  even  possessed  a 
residence  of  his  own  in  Leyden.  But  he  was  not 
the  man  to  deny  himself  or  his  family  any  lawful 
pleasure  through  parsimony.  Though  extremely 
temperate  in  the  use  of  food  and  drink,  (he  was 
fonder  of  tasting  than  eating,  he  used  to  say,)  he 
liked  a  good  table.  He  was  an  exquisite  gastro- 
nome, but  still  more  for  others  than  himself.  His 
hospitality  was  truly  Oriental.  All  that  his  house 
could  afford  was  at  the  service  of  each  one  whom 
he  admitted  to  it,  and  he  ever  sought  opportunity  of 
showing  some  friendly  attention.  As  a  host  he  had 
no  superior  ;  he  consulted  the  pleasure  of  all  his 
guests  collectively,  and  of  each  in  particular.  His 
house  had  a  charm  for  every  visitor,  and  there  was 
no  place  to  which  an  invitation  was  more  gladly 
accepted. 

In  the  year  1821  Van  der  Palm  purchased  a  small 
country-seat,  under  Soeterwoude,  outside  the  Koe- 
poort ;  he  called  it  Oosterhof,  not  without  allusion 
to  his  studies.  There  he  spent  the  fair  season.  One 
of  the  summer-houses  belonging;  to  it  he  converted 
into  a  study.  As  long  as  he  continued  to  work  at 
his  translation  of  the  Bible  and  give  lectures,  he 
spent  the  forenoon  in  his  study  in  the  city,  but  the 
last  part  of  Solomon  he  wrote  there.  A  Hebrew 
Testament,  a  States  Bible,  and  writing  materials 
were  all  that  was  found  there.  Those  who  visited 
him  at  Oosterhof  were  not  permitted  to  depart  be- 
fore he  had  conducted  them  around  his  premises, 
pointing  out  to  them  especially  his  various  fruit- 
trees,  as  he  thought  more  of  fruits  than  flowers  ; 


114  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

and  he  spoke  with  so  much  interest  of  his  peaches 
and  melons,  and  pointed  out  with  so  much  satisfac- 
tion a  thousand  different  things  in  his  small  pleasure- 
garden,  that  his  visitors  might  for  a  moment  imagine 
that  they  saw  before  them  a  man  who  devoted  all 
his  time  to  such  enjoyments.     He  was  very  happy 
and  contented  there,  and  it  must  have  been  a  great 
self-denial  not  to  go  thither  the  last  summer  of  his 
life.    Still,  respecting  this  also,  not  a  single  complaint 
was  heard  from  his  lips.      It  was  certainly  at  all 
times  a  feast  to  see  Van  der  Palm,  to  be  received 
by  him,  and,  what  was  the  same  thing,  to  be  treated 
by  him  with  friendliness.     But  to  see  him  in  the 
fervor  of    his    domestic   life    imparted   a   heart-felt 
pleasure  which  no  one   can  fully  express.      There 
Van  der  Palm  was  first  seen  in  all  his  amiableness, 
in  the  true  nobility  of  his  benignant  nature.     His 
house  was  a  scene  of  undisturbed  peace,  joy,  and 
happiness,  and  he  knew  how  to  imbue  with  his  own 
spirit  all  who  surrounded  him,  even  to  his  servants. 
The  rights  of  each,   the  pleasures    of   each,   were 
respected  and  regarded    by  him   with   the    utmost 
care.     A  most  tender  husband,  he  lived  wholly  in 
and  for  his  lovely,  gentle,   pious  wife,   who,  even 
with  less  prosperity,  would  have  made  the  happiness 
of  his  life  complete.     In  no  one  was  the  paternal 
character  more  perfectly  expressed ;    even  without 
being   allied  to    him   by  blood,  one    could   hardly 
refrain  from  calling  him  father.     Surrounded  by  his 
children  and  grandchildren,  he  seemed  truly  a  pa- 
triarch of  the  olden  time  ;  to  promote  their  happi- 
ness,  to   augment  their   pleasure,   to  gather   them 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  115 

joyous  and  sportive  around  him,  was  the  delight  of 
his  life.  He  ever  found  time  in  the  midst  of  his 
most  serious  employments,  yea,  during  the  last 
years  of  his  life,  amid  weakness  and  suffering,  to 
devise  plans  for  their  amusement,  to  rejoice  them 
with  presents,  to  entertain  them,  and  by  great  and 
small  attentions  of  every  kind  to  show  how  largely 
they  shared  in  the  affections  of  his  heart ;  to  par- 
ticipate in  their  pleasures,  in  their  sports,  to  laugh 
at  their  innocent  folly,  and  to  take  an  interest  in 
what  they  deemed  important,  though  it  had  become 
far  beneath  his  attention.  To  his  most  advanced 
age  he  was  never  wearied  by  the  pressure,  the  mer- 
riment of  the  young.  We  have  seen  him  in  his 
seventy-sixth  year,  in  the  character  of  Rector  Mag- 
nificus,  with  toga  and  three-cornered  hat,  participate 
in  the  parody  of  a  public  promotion,  during  the 
week  in  which  I  was  preparing  for  my  actual  pro- 
motion, and  when  his  house  had  been  opened  for  all 
the  bustle  and  trouble  incident  to  such  an  event,  in 
the  case  ot  a  student  not  wholly  without  friends  and 
relatives,  —  gracing  our  follies  and  crowning  our  joy 
by  his  unaffected  cheerfulness.1 

Van  der  Palm  was  most  susceptive  of  the  impres- 
sion of  happiness.  With  him  the  emotion  of  grati- 
tude, more  than  any  other,  manifested  itself.  It  was 
at  a  family  festival  that  his  joy  could  be  read  in  his 
expressive  countenance  and  in  his  glistening  eye, 

1  The  last  time  that  he  went  to  the  University,  and  the  last  public 
scene  at  which  he  was  present,  was  at  my  promotion.  In  previously 
reviewing  my  dissertation  he  had  still  manifested  a  clearness  of  intel- 
lect, a  vivacity  of  mind,  and  a  strength  of  memory  which  greatly  sur- 
prised me. 


116  LIFE   OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

not  seldom  moistened  with  silent  tears.     Memorable 
for  all  his  friends  who  attended  it  will  ever  remain 
the  celebration  of  his  silver  wedding.1     In  the  vigor 
of  his  manhood,  with  his  beautiful  consort  at  his 
side,  and  surrounded  by  his  blooming  offspring,  three 
full-grown  daughters,  and  three  younger  children, 
among  whom  was  Henry  Albert.     There  too  were 
his  dearest  friends,  —  the  vigorous  Van  Roijen,  his 
oldest    University  friend,   De  Kruif,   Kemper,  and 
others,  —  with  the  flower  of  the  voung  men  who 
were  accustomed  to  resort  to  his  house,  and  among 
them  Borger.     He  opened  the  festivities  by  raising 
his    soul    to    God   in   prayer,    thanking   him    "  for 
twenty -five  years  of  connubial  blessing  and  felicity," 
—  a  blessing  and  a  felicity  of  the  reality  and  value 
of  which  all  were  convinced  by  all  that  they  saw  and 
heard.     Another  day  is  present  to  my  mind,  when 
he,  late  in  the  evening  of  his  life,  exerted  himself 
to  solemnize  the  marriage  of  two  of  his  grandchil- 
dren.2    All  that  the  Lord  had  left  him  of  his  dear 
offspring,  his  four  daughters  and  two  sons-in-law, 
were  present.     Besides  the  bridal  pair,  he  was  sur- 
rounded by  ten  of  his  twenty-four  grandchildren. 
He  had  now,  for  the  very  last  time,  arrayed  himself 
in  the  vestments  of  the  ministers  of  the  gospel,  in 
which  he  had  not  appeared  for  the  last  three  years. 
The   undertaking   was   almost    too    great   for    his 
strength,  and  he  was  overpowered  by  his  emotions 
when  he  adjured  his  grandchildren  not  to  forfeit  the 

1  November  14th,  1811. 

2  The  young  nobleman  Cornells  van  Foreest,  son  of  his  second 
daughter,  and  Johanna  Elizabeth  Loopuy t,  daughter  of  his  first-born ; 
married  in  Schiedam,  November  28th,  1839. 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  117 

blessing  of  God.  Never,  perhaps,  was  he  more 
eloquent  than  in  that  never-to-be-forgotten  mo- 
ment. 

How  has  the  sphere  in  which  we  have  contem- 
plated Van  der  Palm  become  by  degrees  circum- 
scribed !  We  began  with  the  admirable  scholar, 
and  have  concluded  with  the  amiable  father  of  a 
family.  But  always,  everywhere,  was  he  amiable. 
The  chief  trait  of  his  character  was  love.  If  any 
one,  he  understood,  he  practised  in  all  relations  this 
Christian  virtue  in  its  whole  extent.  It  was  not 
only  his  constant  endeavor  to  promote  the  happiness 
of  others,  of  many,  to  secure  it,  to  augment  it  in 
various  ways,  and  to  see  that  justice  was  done 
them  ;  but  he  especially  exercised  himself,  with  con- 
siderate scrupulousness,  to  impair,  to  becloud  no 
one's  happiness,  no  one's  pleasure,  by  word  or  look 
or  silence,  —  a  matter  often  far  more  difficult,  and 
accompanied  with  greater  self-denial,  than  the  con- 
ferring of  a  benefit  or  the  rendering  of  a  service. 
Charitable  in  his  views  of  others,  and  mild  in  his 
utterances  respecting  them,  nothing  was  so  odious 
to  him  as  suspicion,  evil  speaking,  rash  judging. 
"  I  only  wish  that  I  was  more  severe  towards  my- 
self," he  once  said  to  a  friend  who  complimented 
him  on  this  trait  of  his  character.  He  was  not  very 
easily  excited  to  anger ;  and,  notwithstanding  his  lof- 
tiness, he  remained  calm  under  injuries.  Very  sel- 
dom in  such  cases  did  a  hard  expression  fall  from  his 
lips,  but  when  it  did,  it  was  very  hard,  owing  to 
his  habitual  justness  in  the  choice  of  his  words  ;  but 
his  countenance  and  his  soul  quickly  resumed  their 


118  LIFE  OF   VAN  DER  PALM. 

wonted  serenity.  Every  one  who  applied  to  him 
with  his  wants  or  interests  found  him  liberal,  oblig- 
ing, ready  to  assist,  at  the  sacrifice  of  precious  time 
and  cherished  pleasures.  That  he  knew  how  to  for- 
get himself  for  the  happiness  of  those  who  were 
dear  to  him,  my  bride  and  I  had  the  most  affecting 
proof,  when,  on  his  last  and  painful  couch,  after 
having  for  weeks  earnestly  desired  the  approach  of 
death,  he  suppressed  the  wish  in  order  to  survive  a 
marriage  celebration  in  which  he  felt  the  deepest 
interest,  and  which,  by  reason  of  my  call  to  Heem- 
stede,  could  not  well  be  longer  deferred.  The  idea 
of  casting  too  dark  a  shadow  on  our  bridal  days  by 
his  death  was  more  intolerable  to  him  than  his 
severest  sufferings. 

And  when  I  reflect  on  the  last  days  of  that  im- 
portant life,  and  remember  that  death-bed,  then  my 
heart  rejoices  with  an  ineffable  joy.  What  are 
greatness  and  amiableness,  unless  sanctified  by  that 
high  principle  which  is  of  God  ?  What  is  virtue, 
if  it  spring  not  from  faith  as  its  root  ?  That  Van 
der  Palm  was  a  godly  man,  desired  to  conform  his 
life  to  the  precepts  of  Christianity,  and  sought  the 
consolation  of  his  heart  in  the  comfort  which  it 
affords,  his  whole  past  life  had  testified  ;  that  he 
confessed  Christ  as  the  only  name  under  heaven 
by  which  we  must  be  saved,  his  writings,  his 
mouth,  had  proclaimed  ;  but  with  all  this  some  of 
his  best  friends  had  always  desired  that  in  his  daily 
life  also  he  should  more  distinctly  and  more  fre- 
quently testify  to  those  around  him  the  precious- 
ness  of  this  conviction,  that  he  might  more  heartily, 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  119 

more  loudly  glory  in  this  precious  belief,  with  appli- 
cation to  himself,  to  his  prospects  and  expectations. 
But  seldom  did  he  reveal  the  thoughts  of  his  heart  on 
this  point.  Let  no  one  judge  him  in  this  matter. 
There  are  some  who  cannot  refrain  from  exhibiting 
their  dearest  treasure  with  rapture  ;  there  are  others 
who  lock  it  up  in  the  inmost  sanctuary  of  their 
hearts.  To  the  latter  class  belonged  Van  der  Palm. 
Perhaps,  —  why  dissemble  it  ?  —  a  measure  of  the 
fear  of  man,  a  little  false  shame,  was  mingled  with 
this  reticence,  the  shady  side  of  gentle  and  amiable 
characters.  Yet  if  ever  the  necessity  or  the  cour- 
age or  the  strength  failed  him  to  glory  in  his  faith, 
if  the  most  holy  and  intense  exercises  of  his  mind 
and  heart  occurred  in  silence,  in  the  last  days  of 
his  trial  the  light,  which,  through  God's  grace, 
burned  in  his  inmost  soul,  shone  forth  clearly,  to  the 
no  small  comfort  and  edification  of  those  by  whom 
he  was  surrounded.  Then  was  heard  from  his  lips, 
with  the  rejection  of  all  comfort,  which  was  some- 
times offered  him  in  the  retrospect  of  a  well-spent 
life,  "  I  rest  on  nothing  but  the  free  grace  of  God  in 
Jesus  Christ ;  Christ  is  my  righteousness."  Again, 
after  a  dreary  night  of  struggling  and  conflict,  this 
triumphant  language  was  uttered  from  the  depths 
of  his  soul :  "  I  believe  that  that  God  whom  I  have 
preached,  in  all  his  greatness,  wisdom,  power,  and 
love,  will  be  gracious  to  us  sinners  for  the  sake  of 
Christ  Jesus,  and  that  we  can  be  saved  only  by  faith 
in  him." 

Thus  strengthened  in  spirit,  and  with  his  eye  on 
the  cross   of  Christ,  he  prepared  for  his  lingering 


120  LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

death,  saying,  "  My  hope  is  in  the  Lord  Jesus ;  I 
go  hence  in  peace."  His  patience  was  exemplary, 
though  sometimes,  overcome  by  the  severity  of  his 
sufferings,  he  would  exclaim,  "  Painful,  painful  way 
to  the  grave.  Oh  that  the  end  were  come  !  "  But 
soon  again  such  expressions  as  these  were  heard  from 
his  lips  :  "I  did,  indeed,  desire  to  be  permitted  to 
commend  my  soul  to  God,  thanking  him  for  the 
blessings  which  I  have  experienced.  He  has  always 
led  me  in  so  friendly  a  manner ;  and  should  I  not 
now  regard  it  as  kindly  ordered  that  the  hour  of  my 
departure  is  so  trying  ?  My  Father  !  let  Job  be 
tried  to  the  end." 

Amiable  to  the  last,  he  frequently  employed  the 
little  strength  that  remained  to  him  for  speaking  in 
recounting  the  mercies  which  he  experienced,  or  in 
commending  his  "  faithful  children,  who  were  so 
solicitously  attentive  to  his  comfort,  and  endured 
their  privations  with  so  much  cheerfulness."  The 
clearness  of  his  intellect  did  not  fail,  except  in  the 
condition  between  waking  and  sleeping,  which  some- 
times continued  long.  Not  seldom  did  he  surprise 
his  family  with  a  question  which  showed  how  many 
recollections  of  every  kind  occupied  him,  and  that 
he  could  continue  to  think  deeply  on  what  was  said 
or  done  in  his  presence.  A  short  prayer,  or  gentle 
sigh,  was  often  heard  from  his  lips,  when  he  was 
thought  to  be  slumbering ;  and  to  the  verv  last 
he  retained  that  justness  in  the  choice  of  his  expres- 
sions which  had  characterized  all  that  he  uttered. 
Fourteen  days  before  his  death,  my  bride  and  1 
kneeled  by  his  couch.     He  laid  his  hands  on  our 


LIFE  OF  VAN  DER  PALM.  121 

heads,  and  with  a  low,  faltering  voice,  often  difficult 
to  be  understood,  he  pronounced  upon  us  an  ex- 
tended benediction,  the  eloquent  words  of  which 
will  never  cease  to  resound  in  our  hearts.  They 
were  the  last  that  I  heard  from  his  lips.  On  the 
8th  of  September,  calmly  and  gently,  without  ap- 
parent distress,  he  fell  asleep  in  the  arms  of  three 
of  his  daughters,  after  a  suffering  of  some  months 
and  a  confinement  to  his  bed  of  several  weeks.  A 
violent  fever,  respecting  which,  when  it  set  in,  he 
had  remarked,  "  this  will  be  my  last  conflict,"  pre- 
ceded his  almost  imperceptible  dissolution.1 

Four  days  after,  the  precious  remains  of  the  esti- 
mable and  beloved  man  were  interred  in  Katwijk's 
down,  where,  by  the  ashes  of  his  wife,  son,  and 
daughter,  as  he  had  always  said,  "  there  still  remained 
a  place  for  him."  His  two  sons-in-law  and  three  of 
his  grandsons  followed  the  corpse  to  its  resting-place. 
Professor  van  Hengel  had  requested  the  privilege  of 
saying  a  few  words  at  his  grave.  Rev.  J.  Dermout 
followed  him,2  surrounded  by  a  large  circle  of  friends 
and  admirers  of  the  deceased,  of  different  ranks  and 
ages.  When  we  returned  from  the  cemetery,  I  cast 
a  look  on  the  boundless  main,  adumbration  of  that 
eternity  into  which  Johannes  Henricus  van  der 
Palm  had  entered. 

1  A  most  important  account  of  the  nature  of  Van  der  Palm's  consti- 
tution, sickness,  and  death,  from  the  hand  of  his  physician,  Dr.  Van 
Kaathoven,  the  reader  will  find  in  the  Appendix. 

2  The  short  addresses  of  these  gentlemen,  as  also  the  words  pro- 
nounced by  Rev.  Van  der  Boon  Mesch  on  their  return  to  the  house  of 
mourning,  are  placed  in  the  Appendix. 


APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX. 


SCHOOL  ORATION. 

CONCLUSION  OF  A  SHORT  ORATION,  "  DE  EO  QUOD  OPTAN- 
DUM  EST  EX  SENTENTIA  JUVENALIS  ;  SIVE  DE  SANA 
MENTE  IN  CORPORE  SANO,"  DELIVERED  BY  VAN  DER 
PALM    AT    THE   ERASMIAN    SCHOOL    IN   ROTTERDAM. 

Nos  potissimum,  optirni,  carissimique  commilitones,  nos 
jam  a  primo  hoc  aetatis  nostrae  limine  pergamus,  uti  insti- 
tuimus,  graviter  laborioseque  mentes  nostras  literarum 
excolere  studiis.  Praestemus  nos  divino  hoc  sanse  mentis, 
sanique  corporis  munere  non  indignos ;  sic  nee  curas, 
sumtus,  spes,  et  vota  parentum  nostrorum  fallemus,  sic 
nee  laborem  magistrorum  frustremus,  sic  regiam  hanc  in 
terris  viam  calcantes  patriae  evademus  haud  inutiles,  et 
superaddito  aeternae  salutis  studio,  quod  nee  Juvenales 
docent,  nee  fictitius  suggerit  Apollo  Delphicus,  sed  ipsius 
Dei  sermo  ac  spiritus,  ad  sempiterna  apud  Deum  menti- 
bus  corporibusque  sanis  ac  beatis  carpenda  gaudia  con- 
formabimur,  quando  eo  perveniemus,  ubi  piorum  votorum 
erit  plenum  supplementum,  plena  consummatio,  et  gratuita 
merces. 


TESTIMONIAL  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  FACULTY. 

[L.   S.] 

Non  saepe  contingit,  ut  ex  disciplina  nostra  dimittamus 
juvenes  omni  liberali  doctrina  adeo  politos,  ut  est  Joannes 


126  APPENDIX. 

Henricus  van  der  Palm  Eoterodamensis,  quique  tantos 
etiam  in  diviniore  scientia  progressus  facerint.  Quas 
accepit  a  Deo  prseclaras  animi  dotes,  eas  in  cursu  studio- 
rum  excoluit  diligentissime.  Testimoniis  perquam  hono- 
rificis  eum  ornarunt  omnes  hujus  academiae  Doctores, 
quos  audivit,  et  audivit  omnes  quos  debuit.  In  Orientali- 
bus  literis  quantum  profecerit,  declarat  editus  libellus,  quo 
Salomonis  Ecclesiasten  explicavit,  complura  non  ingenii 
modo  sed  etiam  eruditionis  documenta  continens.  Nostros 
inter  auditores  ita  excelluit,  ut  sive  responderet  ad  inter- 
rogata,  sive  disputaret,  sive  concionaretur,  neminem  ex 
sociis  superiorem  liaberet.  Quum  haec  decoraverit  integ- 
ritas  vitoe,  majorem  in  modum  omnibus  commendamus 
Juvenem  excellentera,  qui  jam  id  agere  nobis  videtur,  ut 
gravem  illam  adversariam,  quam  concitavit,  maximam  sui 
expectationem,  etiam  vincat.  Precamur  Deum  ut  pros- 
peret  ei  proposita,  eorumque  successibus  velit  et  ipsum 
beare,  et  commodum  sanctae  civitatis  augere.  Dabamus 
Lugduni  Batavorum  nonis  Octobris  anno  1784. 

[l.  s.]  Ewaldus  Hollebeek,  Th.  Doct.  et  Prof.  0. 

iEGiDius  Gillissen,  SS.  Th.  Doct.  et  Prof, 
fac.  h.  t.  dec. 

Carolus  Boers,  SS.  Th.  Doct.  et  Prof. 

Broerius  Broes,  SS.  Th.  Doct.  et  Prof. 


PROFESSORIAL  CERTIFICATES. 

Eximius  Juvenis  J.  H.  van  der  Palm  ea  nobis  dedit 
per  aliquot  annos,  quibus  in  hac  Academia  studiis  severi- 
oribus  magna  cum  laude  invigilavit,  ingenii  sui  felicissimi 
peregregia  specimina  ut  aliorum  vix  indigere  videatur 
testimonio.  Quando  tamen  mori  recepto  obsecundare 
voluit,  testor  equidem  ex  animi  sententia  :  ilium  meis  etiam 


APPENDIX.  127 

in  Novum  Foedus  lectionibus  domesticis  docilem  inter- 
fuisse  et  modestum ;    suaeque  in  Graecis,  Latinis,  atque 
Orientalibus   Uteris   minime  vulgaris  peritiaa  documenta 
exhibuisse  a  paucis  in  ista  setate  exspectanda. 
Scribebam  D.  IV.  Oct.  1784. 

[l.  s.]    L.  C.  Valckenaar. 


Juvenis  eximius,  Job.  Henr.  van  der  Palm,  Roterodamo- 
Batavus  a  me  petiit,  ut  sibi  studii  in  bumaniores  literas 
collati  testimonium  darem.  Sed  ille  nibil  indiget  vocis 
nostras  pragconio,  cum  testem  baud  paulo  locupletiorem 
citare  possit  pragclarum  libellum  a  se  editum,  in  quo 
omnes,  qui  de  bis  rebus  judicare  possunt,  et  ingenium 
auctoris,  et  eruditionem  admirantur.  Nos  vota  facimus, 
ut  juveni  tam  docto  res  secundissimae  cum  longa  vita  con- 
tingant.     Leidae  d.  6  Octobr.  1784. 

[l.  s.]    David  Ruhnkenius. 


DIONYSIUS   VAN   DE   WIJNPERSSE,  A.  L.  M.  PHIL.   DOCT.   ET 
PROF.  L.  S.  P. 

Juvenis  egregius,  Jobannes  Henricus  van  der  Palm, 
Roterodamensis,  praster  ceteras  disciplinas  Tbeologo  pro- 
ficuas,  pbilosophicis  quoque  studium  haud  poenitendum 
dicavit.  Me  praeceptore  usus,  per  biennium  Arti  Logicas, 
pariter  Metaphysicis,  unum  quoque  per  annum  doctrinae 
morali  officiorum,  talem  dicavit  operam,  ut  adsiduitatem, 
discendi  ardorem,  haud  exiles  etiam  profectus  et  eximias 
ingenii  vires,  admodum  mihi  multisque  modis  probaverit. 
Quod  superest,  ut  generosa  ejus  conamina  favore  suo 
atque  auxilio,  ad  multum  rei  Christianas  emolumentum, 
Deus  prosperet,  adprecor.     Vale  ! 

Dabam  Lugduni  Batav.  prid.  non.  Oct.  1784. 


128  APPENDIX. 

Johannes  Henricus  van  der  Palm  Theolooiae  stu- 
diosus,  per  quinquennium  in  disciplina  mea  versatus, 
cum  a  me  petat  industrial,  diligentiaeque  testimonium, 
huic  quidem  consuetudini  Academics  difficile  esse  sentio 
ita  nunc  obtemperare,  ut  ne  pro  rei  veritate  parum,  pro 
mea  autem  erga  ilium  animi  propensione  nimium  dixisse 
videar.  Quare  abstinebo  omni  commendatione,  proesertim 
cum  verbis  non  opus  sit,  ubi  adsunt  rerum  testimonia. 
Meam  enim  qualemcunque  commendationem  longe  su- 
perat  publica  laus,  quam  adeptus  est  docto  specimine 
suorum  in  literis  Orientalibus  et  exegesi  sacra  profectuum ; 
nee  minor  omnium  quotquot  eum  norunt  de  proeclaris  ejus 
animi  dotibus  existimatio.  Deum  precor  ut  hunc  tarn 
eximium  Juvenem,  in  quo  tanta  est  Ecclesia?  Batavoe  spes, 
diu  conservet,  omnique  fortunarum  genere  cumulatissime 
beet.     Scripsi  Lugd.  Bat.     D.  4  Octobris,  1784. 

[l.  s.]  Henricus  Albertus  Schultens, 

A.  M.  L.  L.  0.  0.  et  Ant.  Jud.  Prof. 


LIBERALIS  THEOLOGUS. 

EXTRACT  FROM  A  SHORT  ORATION  "  DE  LIBERALI  THE- 
OLOGO,"  DELIVERED  BY  THE  STUDENT  VAN  DER 
PALM,  AT  THE  OPENING  OF  A  PUBLIC  DISPUTATION 
UNDER   PROF.    HOLLEBEEK. 

Ne  quis  tamen,  falsa  abreptus  opinione,  orthodoxos 
tantum  illos  habeat,  qui  repetita  quovis  loco  ac  tempore 
suae  orthodoxias  ostentatione  cuivis  fastidium,  nonnullis 
etiam  commiserationem  creant,  qui  dogmata  vocant  capi- 
talia,  qua?  si  bene  spectentur,  ad  quaestiones  vel  exegeti- 
cas,  vel  omnino  problematicas  referri  debent,  qui  veritatem 
secus  sentientium  ore  prolatam  in  mendacium  abire  putent, 
qui  denique  suum  captum  tamquam  omnis  orthodoxiae 
normam  habentes,  hasreticos  appellant,  quotquot  in  ipso- 


APPENDIX.  129 

A 

rum  placita  nolint  jurare.  Illud  semper  est  veritati  pro- 
prium,  ut  sua  simplicitate  et  admirabili  quadam  suavitate 
animos  mentesque  perraulceat,  neque  hujusmodi  indigeat 
patronis. 

Liberalis  autcm  Theologus,  suae  semper  imbecillitatis 
sibi  conscius,  suis  diffidit  viribus,  neque  suam  aliis  sen- 
tentiam  obtrudere  elaborat,  et  dissentientes  amice  tolerat, 
audit,  et  ex  ipso  dissensu  maximam  subinde  capit  utili- 
tatem  :  quotiescunque  vero  eo  deventum  est,  ut  Veritas 
egeat  defensore,  se  ardentissimum  ostendit  ejus  propugna- 
torem,  ardentissimum  scilicet,  si  flagrantem  ejus  pro 
veritate  ardorem  consideres ;  sin  animum  spectes,  hie  ab 
odiis  rixisque  et  conviciis  omnium  est  alienissimus ; 
blanda  igitur  elocutione  placidoque  vultu  iras  adversario- 
rum  sedare  incipit,  mox  sedata,  ipsorum  mentes  argumen- 
torum  pondere  magis  quam  crassa  multitudine  de  errore 
suo  convincit,  vel  si  in  eo  perseverent,  divinoa  commendat 
gratise  ac  benignitati.  Salutis  autem  Ecclesias  ut  est 
amantissimus,  ita  quibus  earn  remediis  adjuvare  enititur, 
atque  aliquam  suas  fortunes  jacturam  facere  non  dubitat, 
si  Ecclesiae  sit  profuturum,  quam  cum  duabus  maxime 
partibus  agitatam  cernit  ac  distractam  (de  nostro  coetu 
loquor  A.  H.)  alterutram  suo  suffragio  corroborare  pror- 
sus  recusat.  Amicus  enim  ipsi  Coccejus,  amicus  Voetius, 
magis  arnica  charitas  et  mutua  fratrum  concordia. 


POETIC   EFFUSION   OF  BILDERDIJK. 

IN  THE  ALBUM  OF  J.  H.  VAN  DER  PALM. 

Waar  't  warm  gevoel  van  't  hart  in  staat  zich  meetedeelen 

Aan  't  levenloos  papier, 
Geen  naam  van  Van  der  Palm  zou  in  mijn  trekken  spelen, 

Of  't  blad  smolt  weg  in  vier. 
9 


130  APPENDIX. 

't  Smolt  weg,  gelijk  mijn  oog  tot  tranen  waant  te  vloeien, 

Als  't  denkbeeld  van  uw  trouw 
Mijn  borst  van  dankbre  zucht  voor  uw  belang  doet  gloeien, 

't  Geen  ik  voor  't  mijne  hou. 
Wanneer  ik  in  mijn  hart  het  uwe  waan  te  voelen 

Voor  deugd  en  maatschappy, 
Voor  God,  voor  Vaderland,  en  't  edelste  bedoelen 

Waar  't  hart  voor  vatbaar  zij,  — 
Wanneer  ik  't  voor  de  kracht  der  vriendschap  voele  aan  't 
branden, 

En  hevig  aangedaan, 
Door  d'  engsten  strik  geklemd  in  heur  gewijde  banden 

Van  vreugde  aamechtijj  slaan. 
Dan  schreie  ik,  gantsch  vervoerd,  en  als  mij  zelv'  onttogen 

Der  Godheid  staamlend  aan  : 
"  Gij  schonkt  me  in  dozen  vriend,  weldadig  Alvermogen, 
Het  allerhoosste  goed  een*  stervlino;  toe  te  staan  ! " 

©  ©  © 

Kniedicht.     Semper  idem. 

T       ,         t_Qa  BlLDERDIJK. 

Leyaen,  1782. 


VAN  DER  PALM'S  POETRY. 

A  PAIR  OF  COUPLETS  FROM  THE  POEM  OF  THE  STUDENT 
VAN  DER  PALM,  WHICH,  IN  1784,  RECEIVED  THE  GOLD 
MEDAL  FROM  THE  SOCIETY  KUNSTLIEFDE  SPAART 
GEEN   VLIJT. 

Coupl.  4. 

Hef  Sinai,  uw  kruin  ter  wolken, 

Geduchte  schouwplaats  van  Gods  eer  ! 
Voor  't  siddrend  oog  van  Jacobs  volken 

Zeeg  de  Almagt  dondrende  op  u  neer. 
Uw  onverurikbre  pijlers  torschten 
Het  drukkend  wigt  des  weereldvorsten, 

Voor  wien  gansch  Isrel  bevend  vliedt : 
De  bliksem  deed  uw  heuvlen  branden, 
Verzengde  uw  loeijende  ingewanden, 

En  Horeb  trilt  maar  wankelt  niet. 


APPENDIX.  131 

Coupl.  7. 

O  Simon,  Zebedeus  loten  ! 

Hoe  !  sluimert  ge  in  het  stof  der  aard  ? 
Is  dit,  verblinde  tochtgenooten, 

Is  dit  een  hulde,  uw  Koning  waard  ? 
Kunt  gij  geen  uur  met  Jesus  waken, 
Als  Gods  geduchte  toorn  aan  't  blaken, 

In  hem  uw  schulden  straf  bereidt, 
Sluit  laffe  rust  uw  oogenleden, 
Als  Jesus  worstelt  in  gebeden, 

Ontwaakt  dan  voor  zijn  heerlijkheid  ! 


LETTER  TO  M.  C.  VAN  HALL. 

LETTER  OF  REV.  J.  H.  VAN  DER  PALM,  MINISTER  AT 
MAARTENSDIJK,  TO  MR.  MAURITS  CORNELIS  VAN 
HALL.l 

Noble  Sir  and  Friend,  —  Pardon  me,  that  I  have 
not  sooner  complied  with  a  request,  so  honoring  to  me ; 
the  time  for  it  has  absolutely  failed  me,  and  you  know, 
Sir,  that  one  is  not  in  all  circumstances  prepared  to  crit- 
icise a  poem.  Were  it  not  that  I  shall  be  obliged  to  be 
away  from  home  for  some  time,  I  should  take  the  liberty 

1  The  subject  of  this  letter  is  a  poem  of  Mr.  Van  Hall,  composed  on 
occasion  of  the  one  hundred  and  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  University 
of  Utrecht,  which,  rewrought  according  to  the  hints  of  Van  der  Palm, 
subsequently  made  its  appearance  in  a  work  published  by  Mr.  De 
Vries,  entitled,  An  Account  of  the  Festal  Solemnities.  Mr.  Van  Hall, 
who  enjoyed  the  rare  privilege  of  being  also  permitted  to  celebrate,  in 
verse,  the  bicentenary  of  the  University,  makes  mention  of  this  youth- 
ful production  in  the  dedication  of  his  Cantate,  where  he  sings : 

Ala  't  lisplen  van  de  teedre  blaren 

Van  de  eerste  lentezon  omstraald, 
Verzwond  het  lied,  dat  Tan  mijn  snaren 
Vermetel  klonk  voor  vijftig  jaren, 

Ennooit  door  de  echo's  werd  herhaald. 


132  APPENDIX. 

of  keeping  it  still  longer ;  for  hitherto  I  am  not  in  a  con- 
dition to  communicate  to  you  anything  more  than  general 
observations  on  it. 

Permit  me,  then,  to  inquire,  if  you  have  not  neglected 
to  form  a  certain  plan,  or  rather  to  choose  a  fixed  point 
of  view,  with  reference  to  which  the  thoughts,  images, 
and  expressions  might  be  disposed  in  a  regular  order. 
You  will  permit  me  to  observe,  that  I  do  not  intend  that 
stiff,  measured  tread  by  which  each  couplet  stands  in  an 
analytic  connection  with  all  that  precedes  and  follows. 
In  all  that  pertains  to  taste,  I  am  as  much  in  favor  as  any 
of  the  spirit  of  freedom ;  but  the  principle  of  order  is  no 
less  deeply  inwrought  in  the  constitution  of  the  mind,  and 
identified  with  it.  With  the  least  confusion  we  lose  our- 
selves ;  and  it  is  always  unpleasant,  when  on  a  journey, 
to  lose  the  road. 

It  strikes  me,  Sir,  that  many  of  the  beautiful  passages 
in  your  poem  would  have  been  placed  in  a  more  advan- 
tageous light,  had  you  not  here  and  there  lost  sight  of  this 
unity  of  design.  If  I  mistake  not,  this  natural,  unarti- 
ficial,  and  as  it  were  unobserved  order,  placing  and  unity, 
is,  next  to  the  novelty  and  richness  of  the  thoughts,  the 
principal  requirement,  and  sustains  in  a  good  poem  the 
enthusiastic  ardor,  which  would  otherwise  weary  both 
poet  and  reader,  and  would  itself  finally  become  ex- 
hausted and  powerless. 

Have  you  not  also,  Sir,  in  a  few  places,  expressed 
yourself  with  some  degree  of  obscurity  ?  Perspicuity 
should  always  be  the  first  object  of  attention  ;  for  without 
this  all  is  fruitless,  and  at  least  very  wearisome.  You 
have  here  and  there  availed  yourself  of  circumlocution, 
but,  as  it  seems  to  me,  not  with  sufficient  clearness.  The 
periphrase  by  which  you  express  the  violence  done  to 
conscience  is  chargeable  with  this  fault,  and  still  more  so 
is  that  in  which  you  speak  of  the  solemn  promotion  with 


APPENDIX.  133 

the  cap,  though  this  is  somewhat  difficult  to  express  in 
poetic  measure.  It  is  not  sufficient,  my  friend,  that  the 
reader  be  able  to  conjecture  and  guess  our  meaning ;  it 
must  be  placed  vividly  before  him ;  our  language  must  be 
the  faithful  exponent  of  our  heart ;  and  even  allegory 
and  other  language  of  imagery  must  as  little  conflict  with 
perspicuity  as  the  construction  and  the  choice  of  words. 
If  you  had  your  eye,  p.  7,  c.  2,  at  the  close  on  Bellamy, 
then  you  should  have  expressed  yourself  with  greater 
clearness ;  if  you  had  not,  I  still  think  that  he  might  fill 
an  important  place  in  a  festive  song. 

All  appearance  of  art,  all  that  is  affected,  and  so  de- 
viates from  nature,  produces  in  works  of  taste  no  good 
effect ;  this  is  true  in  general,  and  nowhere  is  it  more 
palpable  than  in  rhyme.  I  am  far,  however,  from  con- 
demning this ;  it  may  be,  especially  in  a  lyric,  made  to 
contribute  much  to  luxuriant  beauty  and  harmony ;  but 
it  must  not  be  allowed  to  give  an  affected  turn  to  the 
thoughts  or  the  construction,  otherwise  the  art  is  apparent 
and  the  weakness  of  the  poet  is  exposed.  Should  you  be 
obliged  to  spend  an  hour  or  two,  you  must  not  relinquish 
it  till  all  the  words  seem  to  have  been  naturally  sug- 
gested, —  ce  qui  est  le  plus  naturel  est  souvent  le  plus 
recherche.  Horace,  in  his  "  Ars  Poetica,"  which  is  indis- 
pensable to  the  poet  and  the  man  of  taste,  gives  good 
instructions  respecting  this  matter.  But,  Sir,  am  I  mis- 
taken, or  have  you  not  in  this  poem  sometimes,  for  the 
sake  of  the  rhyme,  said  what  you  would  otherwise  have 
omitted,  or  expressed  yourself  with  less  accuracy  than 
you  would  otherwise  have  done  ?  Would  you,  for  in- 
stance, b.  5,  p.  2,  have  denominated  God  the  source  of 
light  and  darkness,  whereas  God  certainly  is  the  Father 
of  lights,  in  whom  there  is  no  darkness  ?  Moreover,  the 
opening  seems  to  me  somewhat  faint,  and  those  Psalms 
are  a  hindrance  to  me.     Might  it  not  be  expressed  thus  ? 


134  APPENDIX. 

Mijn  lier,  omkranst  met  frissche  palmen, 
Herhaalt  den  toon  der  jubelgalmen 

Als  de  Echo  't  blij  gejuich  der  vreugd  — 
Zij  trilt  alree —  mijn  vingren  beven  — 
Wiens  cither  zou  geen  klanken  geven 

Op  't  feest  van  wetenschap  en  deugd  ? 

Consider,  Sir,  if  p.  7, 1.  4,  can  be  maintained  ?  When  a 
god  appears  on  the  stage,  says  Horace,  "  dignus  sit 
vindice  nodus  ;  "  but  certainly  the  crushing  of  thorns  (an 
expression,  too,  not  very  appropriate)  is  rather  too  insig- 
nificant for  the  hand  of  God. 

I  regret,  Sir,  that  my  time  forbids  me  to  enter  further 
into  particulars.  I  should  otherwise  gladly  converse 
with  you  on  other  passages,  some  excellent,  others  weak, 
in  your  poem.  Excuse,  meanwhile,  my  freedom  ;  mu- 
tual improvement  should  always  be  our  object ;  and  he 
who  suffers  us  to  retain  our  faults,  when  he  could  assist 
in  removing  them,  certainly  does  us  very  little  service.1 
Be  so  kind  as  to  give  my  regards  to  your  family,  and  be 
assured  that  I  am,  T.  T.  V.  d.  Palm. 

M.dijk,  July  31st,  1786. 


LETTER   TO    THE    CHURCH   OF   VLISSINGEN. 

VAN  DER  PALM'S  LETTER,  WRITTEN  IN  1791,  IN  WHICH 
HE  DECLINED  THE  CALL  TO  BECOME  PASTOR  AND 
TEACHER    AT    VLISSINGEN. 

Noble  and  Venerable  Sirs,  —  As  I  am  now  pre- 
pared, after  a  serious  and  conscientious  consideration,  to 
communicate  to  you  my  decision  with  reference  to  the 

1  M.  C.  van  Hall,  to  whom  this  letter  was  written,  was  born  in  1767, 
and  consequently  was  only  about  nineteen  years  old,  when  he  received 
this  faithful  letter  from  his  friend.  He  lived  to  a  great  age,  and  attained 
to  great  eminence  as  a  jurist,  orator,  and  poet.  His  works  are  numer- 
ous. —  Tr. 


APPENDIX.  135 

call  made  on  me  in  your  meeting  of  the  fourteenth  instant, 
I  have  the  honor,  in  the  discharge  of  this  duty,  to  render 
to  you  my  most  humble  and  hearty  thanks  for  the  grat- 
ifying  preference   which   you   have    manifested  for  my 
person  and  services,  whilst  it  is  to  me  matter  of  sincere 
re°ret,  that,  by  virtue  of  my  relations,  I  cannot  attach 
myself  to  the  honorable  congregation  of  Vlissengen  in 
the  close  bonds  of  the  pastoral  relation,  and  I  therefore 
feel  constrained  to  decline  this  call.     Had  I  felt  liberty 
of  conscience  to  release  myself  from  my  present  engage- 
ments ;  had  not  my  sense  of  what  gratitude  and  gener- 
osity demand  of  me  uttered  its  opposing  voice ;  had  not 
the  will  of  the  Ruler  of  the  universe,  who  directs  the 
inclinations  of  all  men  as  it  pleases  him,  after  an  exam- 
ination made  in  a  dependent  and  prayerful  spirit,  clearly 
and  indisputably  opposed  itself  to  the  execution  of  my 
previously  formed  purpose,  —  neither  the  pleasures  nor 
advantages  connected  with  my  present  position,  nor  the 
prospect  of  the  burdens  which  the  public  ministry  of  the 
gospel   necessarily  imposes,  would,  as   I   humbly  trust, 
have  prevented  me  from  cheerfully  complying  with  your 
wishes  and  those  of  the  congregation  intrusted  to  your 
care.     No  inferior  considerations  could  have  induced  me 
to  continue  to  confine  my  labor,  in  the  service  of  my  Lord 
and  Saviour,  chiefly  to  the  domestic  circle.    I  should  have 
esteemed  it  an  honor,  had  I  been  permitted  to  become 
your  pastor ;  and  I  regard  it  as  a  more  elevated  position 
than  I  had  reason  to  expect.    For  this  expression  of  your 
regard,  I  shall  ever  cherish  a  lively  gratitude  and  a  sin- 
cere affection  ;  and  nothing  will  afford  me  greater  pleasure 
than  to  be  able  in  all  situations  to  show  how  greatly  I 
feel  obliged  and  attached  to  the  congregation  of  Vlissen- 
gen and  its  officers. 

My  prayer  to  the  great  King  of  his  church  is,  that  he 
will  speedily  fill  the  existing  vacancy  with  a  man  after 


136  APPENDIX. 

his  own  heart,  and  after  the  hearts  of  those  who  love  him 
in  sincerity ;  that  he  will  enable  you  to  execute  this 
his  gracious  counsel,  imparting  abundantly  to  you  and 
the  congregation  the  spirit  of  wisdom  and  illumination, 
and  favoring  you  in  your  persons  and  important  relations 
with  the  tokens  of  his  divine  friendship  and  protection, 
make  you  happy  in  time  and  eternity. 

I  have  the  honor  with  all  respect  to  be,  etc. 


TO    THE    CURATORS    OF    LEYDEN    UNIVERSIY. 

ACCEPTANCE     OF     THE    APPOINTMENT    AS    PROFESSOR     IN 
THE   LEYDEN   UNIVERSITY,  1706. 

Litteras  vestras,  per  quas  Linguarum  Antiquita- 
tumque  Orientalium  in  Academia  Lugduno-Batava  docen- 
darum  provinciam  ad  me  detulistis,  tanta  cum  animi 
voluptate  accepi,  quantam  capere  sinunt  cum  muneris 
gravitas,  turn  tenuitatis  virium  mearum  conscientia. 

Quamvis  enim  a  primo  inde  tempore  quo  in  his  Uteris 
operam  meam  collocavi,  nihil  antiquius  habuerim,  quam 
in  iis  omne  studium  tempusque  meum  consumere,  nihil 
autem  duxerim  optabilius,  quam  ad  istarum  litterarum 
cognitionem,  quae  ferat,  viam  aliis  praire,  nullam  tamen 
unquam  potui  de  prascipuis  in  hoc  genere  partibus  ali- 
quando  sustinendis,  sive  spem  alere,  sive  expectationem 
concipere,  necdum  omne  studium  secundum  tale  consilium 
instituere. 

Qua  quidem  ratione,  quantumvis  gravissima,  accedenti- 
bus  insuper  aliis,  non  minoris  fortasse  ponderis,  tamen 
non  adeo  deterreor,  quin  ornatissimum  a  vobis  in  me  col- 
latum  munus  lubenter  et  gratus  accipiam,  ac  quod  unice 
a  me  postulari  potest,  spondeam  recipiamque,  me  Schul- 
tensianas  discipline  alumnum,  atque  optimi  Henrici  Al- 
berti  quondam  familiarem,  (cum  tanti  Viri  laudes  cequare 


APPENDIX.  137 

velle  temerarium  sit,)  aliquam  ejus  veluti  umbram  expri- 
mere  conaturum,  et  quod  ingenii  aut  doctrinse  deest,  in- 
defesso  labore  atque  animi  intentione  compensaturum. 
Valete. 


ADDRESS   TO   THE    SCHOOL   INSPECTORS. 

EXTRACT  FROM  THE  ADDRESS  OF  THE  AGENT  OF  EDU- 
CATION IN  THE  FIRST  ASSEMBLY  OF  SCHOOL  INSPECT- 
ORS,  IN    THE    YEAR   1801. 

Indeed,  wherever  I  turn  my  eyes,  I  discover  nothing 
but  difficulties,  so  great  in  number  and  importance  that 
one  is  tempted  to  overlook  the  encouragements  that  still 
exist,  and  is  in  danger  of  becoming  unsusceptible  of  their 
influence.  In  the  instruction  of  the  schools  not  only  here 
and  there  is  something  to  be  rectified,  but  everything,  one 
thing  more  leprous  than  another,  is  to  be  restored  and 
renewed.  The  instructors  of  youth,  through  want  of  ade- 
quate encouragement,  by  the  extinction  of  all  emulation, 
from  defectiveness  of  training,  and  still  more  in  conse- 
quence of  embarrassment  and  poverty  sunk  into  a  state 
of  deep  humiliation,  have  no  idea  of  the  nature  and  im- 
portance of  their  vocation,  and  regard  the  man  who  would 
elevate  them  to  their  proper  position  as  an  odious  inno- 
vator, who  would  sacrifice  them  to  his  capricious  will,  and 
deprive  them  of  the  rest  that  might  otherwise  remain  to 
them  during  their  worn-out  lives.  The  mode  of  instruc- 
tion prevalent  in  the  schools  is  servile  and  mechanical, 
adapted  not  to  excite  in  the  breasts  of  the  children  a  de- 
sire of  learning,  but  to  extinguish  it ;  not  to  develop  their 
mental  powers,  but  to  blunt  them  for  the  remainder  of 
their  lives ;  not  to  fill  their  memories  with  the  knowledge 
of  useful  things,  but  with  confused  sounds.  This  mode  of 
instruction  has,  however,  as  its  zealous  supporters,  the 
countless  multitude  of   those  who   cling   tenaciously  to 


138  APPENDIX. 

what  is  old,  and  regard  as  a  crime  the  desire  of  bein^ 
wiser  than  their  fathers ;  the  text-books  of  the  schools, 
useless  as  to  the  purpose  which  they  should  subserve,  un- 
interesting and  prolix,  have,  however,  by  reason  of  their 
contents  and  origin,  a  venerable  appearance  in  the  eyes 
of  many,  who  regard  it  as  no  less  than  sacrilege  to  dis- 
card these  and  substitute  others  in  their  place.  Among 
the  parents  we  meet  with  extreme  indifference  as  to  the 
training  of  their  offspring,  in  their  minds  the  grossest 
prejudices,  and  in  their  families  all  the  consequences  of  a 
neglected  education  ;  in  church  sessions  a  spirit  of  oppo- 
sition, as  quickly  as  the  care  of  important  matters,  which 
it  is  impossible  for  them  to  manage,  is  withdrawn  from 
their  authority  ;  in  the  clergy,  dependence,  timidity,  or 
bigotry,  all  equally  fatal  to  the  reformation  of  the  schools, 
—  of  the  schools,  whose  locality  alone  not  unfrequently 
presents  an  insuperable  obstacle  to  their  most  necessary 
improvement.  Add  to  this  the  effects  of  civil  and  relig- 
ious factions,  and  the  alienations  which  they  engender ; 
the  almost  general  discontent,  arising  from  the  calamity 
of  the  times  still  more  than  from  the  essential  defects 
of  our  form  of  government  ;  and  the  state  of  the  public 
treasury,  which,  exhausted  by  an  amazingly  expensive 
land  force,  and  by  the  national  debt,  which  has  increased 
far  beyond  our  ability,  can  offer  no  effectual  assistance 
by  which  otherwise  the  greatest  and  most  numerous 
grievances  might  perhaps  be  alleviated.  "With  what  pros- 
pect, might  one  well  exclaim,  with  what  prospect  at  all 
favorable  can  one  undertake  the  work  of  school  improve- 
ment, or  comfort  himself  in  the  ungrateful  office  of  in- 
spector of  schools  ?  What  Hercules  will  lead  the  stream 
to  cleanse  these  stables  of  Augias,  and  disinfect  the  pol- 
luted air  of  its  pestilential  breath  ? 


APPENDIX.  139 

LETTER  TO   KING   LOUIS. 

LETTER    OF    PROFESSOR  VAN    DER   PALM    TO   KING   LOUIS. 

Sire  !  —  Encore  penetre  de  l'accueil,  plein  de  bonte, 
que  V.  M.  a  daigne  me  faire,  j'ose  Lui  mettre  sous  les 
yeux  le  resultat  de  mes  reflexions  sur  la  matiere  impor- 
tante  dont  Elle  a  bien  voulu  m'entretenir,  et  sur  les  pro- 
positions dont  je  me  vois  honore  de  Sa  part. 

Je  coinmencerai,  Sire  !  par  declarer  avec  toute  la  sin- 
cerite  et  franchise  dont  je  me  sens  capable,  que  rien  ne 
contribueroit  tant  a  mon  bonheur,  que  de  pouvoir  reraplir 
en  quelque  maniere  les  vues  bienfaisantes  de  V.  M.,  et 
justifier  en  meme  temps  l'opinion  favorable  et  les  senti- 
ments de  con  fiance  qu'Elle  a  daigne  manifester  a  mon 
egard.  Je  dirai  encore,  et  j'espere  que  ce  n'est  pas  une 
vaine  presomption,  que  je  ne  crois  pas  etre  le  dernier  de 
ceux  qui  pourroient  repondre  aux  intentions  de  V.  M.,  et 
qu'un  zele  ardent  a  La  servir  et  a  etre  utile  a  mon  pays 
suppleeroient  en  partie  a  ce  qui  me  manque  en  talens  et 
en  connoissances. 

Mais,  Sire  !  s'il  m'est  permis  d'envisager  la  chose  d'un 
autre  cote,  et  de  la  presenter  sous  un  autre  point  de  vue, 
quand  je  me  demande  a  moi  meme,  si  je  suis  libre  de 
quitter  les  fonctions  de  mon  professorat ;  si  je  puis  m'y 
resoudre,  sans  avoir  a  craindre  que  ma  conduite  soit  bla- 
mee  et  condamnee  d'une  voix  generale,  et  sans  detruire 
par-la  meme  l'effet  des  vues  salutaires  que  V.  M.  s'est 
proposees  ;  je  vois  s'elever  une  difficulty  que  me  parait 
insurmontable,  de  sorte  que,  si  je  ne  puis  satisfaire  au  but 
de  V.  M.  sans  cesser  de  remplir  les  fonctions  de  mon  etat 
actuel,  alors,  Sire  !  tout  ce  que  je  dois,  je  ne  dirai  pas  a 
moi  meme,  au  prix  que  j'attache  a  une  reputation,  plus 
grande,  peut  etre,  que  je  n'ai  pu  la  meriter,  mais  ce  que 
je  dois  a  mon  devoir,  a  mon  devouement  au  service  de 
mon  Souverain,  a  mon  amour  pour  Sa  gloire,  tout  enfin 


140  APPENDIX. 

m'oblige  a  implorer  la  bonte  equitable  de  V.  M.,  pour 
qu'Elle  n'insiste  pas  a  me  faire  sortir  d'une  carriere  que, 
suivant  l'opinion  generale,  je  n'aurois  du  quitter  jamais. 
Quand  j'abandonnois,  il  y  a  neuf  ans,  ma  place  de  Pro- 
fesseur,  avec  des  vues,  que  je  croyois  pures  et  louables, 
uniquement  pour  etre  utile  a  l'instruction  publique,  et 
pour  prevenir  que  ce  departement  ne  fut  confie  a  quelque 
tete  cliaude,  portee  a  la  disorganisation,  cela  n'a  pu  em- 
pecher  que  cette  demarche  ne  fut  hautement  desapprouvee 
par  ceux  meme  qui  ne  me  vouloient  que  du  bien.  Quand, 
dans  ma  qualite  d' Agent  d'Education  Nationale,  et  apres 
la  suppression  de  ce  ministere  comme  Membre  du  Conseil 
de  l'lnterieur,  j'ai  employe  le  peu  de  talens  que  je  pos- 
sedois  a  traiter  les  affaires  exactement,  avec  regularity  et 
promptitude  ;  quand  j'ai  tache  de  ne  donner  a  personne  un 
juste  sujet  de  se  plaindre,  et  de  rendre  a  chaqu'un  les 
services  qui  dependoient  de  moi ;  quand  j'ai  donne  l'ex- 
istence  a  des  etablissemens  qui  ont  ete  juges  dignes 
d'etre  conserves  sous  le  regne  de  V.  M.  :  tout  le  monde 
pourtant  n'a  cesse  de  se  recrier  d'une  unanime,  que  je 
n'etois  pas  a  ma  place,  et  que  tout  ce  que  je  pouvois  faire 
de  mieux  dans  une  carriere  politique  ne  sauroit  ni  egaler 
les  services  que  les  lettres  et  la  religion  avoient  droit 
d'attendre  de  moi,  ni  effacer  le  scandale  d'avoir  trahi  des 
interets  et  des  devoirs  sacres. 

D'un  autre  cote,  Sire  !  apres  que  je  n'ai  plus  ete  em- 
ploye en  politique,  et  que  j'ai  repris  mes  fonctions  de  pro- 
fesseur ;  surtout  apres  que  j'ai  temoigne  par  des  faits,  que 
je  n'avois  pas  quitte  pour  toujours  la  chaire  ecclesias- 
tique  ;  rien  ne  peut  etre  compare  a  1'approbation  generale, 
meme  aux  applaudissemens  universels,  qui  me  sont  pro- 
digues  de  toute  part,  comme  on  les  prodigueroit  a  quelqu'un 
qu'on  voit  revenir  d'un  long  egarement. 

Je  suppose  pour  un  moment,  Sire,  que  ce  que  je  viens 
d'avancer  ne  soit  que  l'effet  du  prejuge,  quoique  ma  con- 


APPENDIX.  141 

science  ne  me  permette  pas  de  le  considerer  tout  a  fait 
comme  tel ;  mais,  si  je  ne  rae  trompe,  ce  prejuge  seul 
suffiroit  pour  rendre  inutiles  tous  mes  efforts  a  influer 
d'une  maniere  plus  ou  moins  marquee  sur  l'opinion  pub- 
lique ;  il  suffiroit  pour  les  faire  placer  dans  un  jour 
de.-avantageux,  comme  n'ayant  pas  pour  but  principal  le 
desir  de  servir  mon  Roi  et  mon  pays,  mais  comme  etant 
decoules  de  la  source  impure  d'un  sordide  interet,  ou 
d'une  ambition  deplacee,  et  tendroit  ainsi  a  aneantir  tout 
l'effet  du  plan  que  la  sagesse,  et  le  besoin  de  se  voir 
toujours  aime  davantage  par  ses  sujets,  ont  inspirer  a  un 
Monarque  genereux  et  eclaire. 

J'ose  done  conclure,  me  confiant,  Sire  !  sur  la  bonte, 
sur  l'equite,  et  sur  les  lumieres  qui  caracterisent  toutes 
les  dispositions  de  V.  M.,  que,  si  le  poste  auquel  Elle  a 
eu  la  bonte  de  me  destiner,  entraineroit  pour  moi  la  ne- 
cessite  de  quitter  mes  fonctions  de  professeur  et  de  predi- 
cates, il  s'y  opposeroient  des  obstacles  invincibles,  et  que 
V.  M.  ne  tireroit  de  mes  foibles  talens  aucun  parti  con- 
siderable dans  un  emploi  ou  je  ne  pourrois  repondre  a  la 
gloire  et  a  Tutilite  de  Ses  projets,  par  ce  qu'il  me  seroit 
impossible  de  satisfaire  a  un  public  dont  je  ne  serois  pas 
en  etat  de  dissiper  les  preventions. 

Mais  s'il  pouvait  se  trouver  un  moyen  d'unir  l'execu- 
tion  des  desseins  de  V.  M.,  soit  en  entier,  soit  pour  la 
plus  grande  et  principale  partie,  avec  l'exercice  continuel 
de  mes  fonctions  actuelles  ;  alors,  Sire  !  j'oserois  me  flat- 
ter, que  la  plus  grande  difficulte  seroit  levee,  et  que  le 
public,  ne  me  voyant  pas  coupable,  pour  ainsi  dire,  du 
crime  de  desertion,  et  sachant  que  mes  facultes  et  mes 
etudes  ne  se  sont  jamais  bornees  aux  objets  de  ma  pro- 
fession speciale,  jugeroit  mon  travail  avec  plus  d'equite 
et  d'indulgence,  qu'il  le  regarderoit  comme  un  moyen 
honnete  d'ameliorer  le  sort  de  ma  famille,  et  prendroit  ma 
fidelite  a  mes  engagemens  anterieurs  pour  un  gage  certain 


142  APPENDIX. 

de  la  purete  et  de  la  droiture  de  mes  intentions  a  sacrifier 
tout  le  temps  qui  me  reste  de  mes  occupations  ordinaires 
au  service  de  V.  M.,  c'est  a  dire  au  bonheur  de  Ses 
sujets. 

C'est  avec  une  satisfaction  tres  reelle,  Sire !  que  je 
crois  pouvoir  representer  a  V.  M.  une  telle  union  comme 
nullement  impracticable.  Mes  fonctions  de  professeur 
me  laissent  du  temps  pour  vaquer  a  d'autres  travaux, 
dont  le  fruit  a  supplee  jusqu'ici  a  la  modicite  de  mes  ap- 
pointemens  et  aux  besoins  d'une  famille  nombreuse ;  les 
vacances  acaderaiques  sont  longues  et  frequentes  ;  et 
l'usage  s'est  introduit  parmi  nous,  que  les  lecons  ordi- 
naires ne  se  tiennent  que  pendant  quatre  jours  de  la 
semaine.  A  ces  considerations,  Sire !  je  pourrois  en 
ajouter  d'autres,  que  je  suis  pret  a  developper  plus  am- 
plement,  et  a  les  mettre  sous  les  yeux  de  V.  M.,  si  j'ose 
me  flatter  d'avoir  pu  reussir  k  faire  agreer  par  Elle  l'id^e 
generate  que  j'ai  pris  la  liberty  de  mettre  en  avant,  et  h 
la  realisation  de  laquelle  je  me  trouverois  en  dtat  de 
prouver,  jusqu'ou  le  desir  de  meViter  l'approbation  de 
V.  M.  seroit  capable  d'animer  mon  zele,  et  d'enflamer 
mon  ardeur,  a  remplir  Ses  sages  et  salutaires  desseins. 

Toutefois,  Sire  !  je  prie  V.  M.  de  vouloir  regarder  avec 
indulgence  la  simplicite  ingenue  et  franche  qui  m'a  inspire* 
le  courage  de  Lui  ecrire,  et  qu'Elle  daigne  accueillir  les 
hommages  du  parfait  devouement,  etc. 


APPENDIX.  143 


ADDRESS  OF  VAN  DER  PALM  TO  HIS  PUPILS. 

ADDRESS  OF  VAN  DER  PALM  TO  HIS  PUPILS  AT  THE  RE- 
OPENING OF  HIS  LECTURES  AFTER  THE  DEATH  OF 
HIS  SON  HENDRIK  ALBERT  (DECEASED  NOV.  14TH, 
1819). 

Vacuum  cerno  locum  Henrici  mei,  commilitonis,  amici 
vestri,  filiorum  optimi !  Ad  cujus  noraen  ita  me  intimis 
visceribus  commoveri  sentio,  ut  verba  desint,  quibus  pa- 
terni  doloris  acerbitatem  aliquo  modo  significem.  Novis- 
tis  candid um  pectus,  novistis  amabilem,  quae  in  eo  erat, 
naturae  simplicitatem,  humanitatem,  facilitatem,  morum 
honestatem,  probitatem,  castitatem !  Testor  vos  omnes, 
ecquis  vestrum  sit  cui  unquam  re  vel  facto  nocuerit,  do- 
lorem  suscitaverit,  quid  ?  molestus  fuerit !  Immo  cum 
erga  neminem  vestrum  ne  minimam  quidem  odii,  invidiae, 
simultatis  umbram  fovebat,  turn  plurimos  fraterno  amore 
cornplexus  est,  atque  ut  quisque  vestrum  moribus,  ingenio, 
studiis,  maxime  excelleret,  ita  impensius  vos  dilexit,  in 
sinu  gessit  vestramque  societatem  appetivit,  quippe  vobis- 
cum  intima  animorum  cognatione  continebatur.  Aman- 
tior  eo  Alius,  pietate  erga  parentes  (quos  habuit  quidem 
facillimos,  sed  quorum  indulgentia,  sive  ad  cupiditatem, 
sive  ad  dissolutionem  nullo  tempore  abusus  est),  pietate 
inquam,  et  obsequio  insignior,  erga  suos  officiosior,  nullus 
unquam  extitit.  Quod  non  verbis  testificabatur,  nam  in 
lis  quae  ad  officii  sanctitatem  pertinent,  non  solebat  multis 
verbis  uti,  iisque  omnino  perpaucis,  prasterquam  in  ho- 
nesta  amicorum  confabulatione,  sed  per  omnem  vitae  cur- 
sum  vitae  institutione  declaravit.  Quae  cum  considero, 
atque  perpendo  mecum,  ut  non  bonarum  tantum  littera- 
rum,  sed  omnis  boni,  pulchri  et  honesti,  ut  sincero  religio- 
nis  amore  flagraverit,  equidem  confido,  Patrem  coelestem 
eum  ex  hujus  vitae  aerumnis  et  illecebris  eripere  voluisse, 


144  APPENDIX. 

ut  integer  et  intactus  ad  se  avolaret,  amicis  exemplo  et 
admonitioni,  ne  nimium  humanis  rebus  fiderent,  corpusque 
et  animum  illibatura  eonservarent.  Atque  vos,  amici  ejus 
et  commilitones,  quibus  pro  egregiae  amicitia3  vestrae  erga 
defunctum  meum  demonstratione  quantas  gratias  habeam 
dicere  non  possum ;  vos  inquam,  per  sanctos  ejus  manes 
obsecro  atque  obtestor,  ut  hunc  egregium  ex  filii  mei  fato 
percipiendum  fructum  vobis  perire  non  patiamini. 


PROSPECTUS. 


(1817.)      PROSPECTUS    OF    THE    TRANSLATION    OF    THE 

BIBLE. 

The  laudable  desire  to  promote  the  circulation  of  the 
Bible,  and  to  place  it,  in  all  countries  and  languages, 
within  the  reach  of  every  one  desirous  of  possessing  it  : 
this  praiseworthy  desire,  not  gradually  awakened,  but 
suddenly  excited  and  raised  at  once  to  an  unprecedented 
height,  must  naturally  give  rise  to  the  idea  of  attempting 
to  promote  the  advantageous  use  and  reading  of  the  Bible 
in  Christian  families. 

But  few  can  read  it  in  the  original  languages  ;  and 
we  may  say  of  nearly  all,  that  the  Bible  exists  for  them 
only  in  translations  ;  on  the  fidelity,  perspicuity,  and 
appropriate  style  of  which  thus  depends  a  great  part  of 
the  profit  and  real  edification  which  they  derive  from  the 
reading  of  this  book. 

In  all  Christian,  certainly  in  all  Protestant  countries, 
there  exists  one  such  translation  in  the  language  of  the 
people,  which,  invested  with  the  authority  of  the  Church, 
is  in  the  hands  of  every  one,  and  is  therefore  regarded  as 
comprising  the  Word  of  God  as  accurately  translated  as 
human  fallibility  permits  in  a  work  so  difficult. 

Among  these  translations  of  the  Bible,  invested  with 


APPENDIX.  145 

ecclesiastical  authority,  our  ordinary  Dutch,  called  the 
States'  translation,  holds  a  respectable  rank.  The  learn- 
ing, the  carefulness,  and  scrupulous  fidelity  of  the  trans- 
lators have  corroborated  this  authority,  and  for  nearly 
two  centuries  remarkably  promoted  the  general  introduc- 
tion of  that  translation. 

But  since  that  translation  was  made  two  centuries  have 
elapsed.  During  this  long  lapse  of  time  the  usages  of  the 
Dutch  language  have  undergone  remarkable  changes ; 
much  that  was  then  clear,  is  now  obscure  ;  much  that 
then  gave  umbrage  to  none,  has  now  become  offensive, 
and  occasion  has  even  been  taken  from  it  for  ridicule. 
But  this  is  not  all,  and  might  with  little  pains  be  reme- 
died. But  during  these  two  centuries  such  remarkable 
advances  have  been  made  in  the  knowledge  of  the  Ori- 
ental languages,  countries,  and  manners,  on  which  alone 
can  rest  a  good  translation  of  the  Bible,  as  well  of  the 
New  as  of  the  Old  Testament,  that  an  entirely  new  light 
has  arisen  upon  this  science,  an  entire  reformation  has 
been  effected  in  it,  and  our  ancient,  learned,  and  pious 
translators  themselves,  could  they  arise  from  their  graves, 
would  doubtless  express  the  wish,  that  their  earlier  labor 
might  be  purified  by  this  modern  learning,  and  enriched 
with  it. 

And  to  this  a  new  translation  must  be  limited,  that  is 
to  be  placed  beside  the  one  now  in  use,  or  substituted  for 
it.  There  is  in  the  tone  of  this  last  so  much  that  is 
touching  and  solemn,  so  much  that  is  serious  and  devout 
it  adheres  with  such  reverential  scrupulousness  to  the 
original,  that  we  have  no  difficulty  in  persuading  our- 
selves that  we  have  before  us  Oracles,  no  human  book, 
but  Divine  instruction. 

If  now  we  depart  too  far  from  this,  if  the  new  trans- 
lation has  a  modern  aspect,  the  style  of  an  ordinary  book, 
10 


146  APPENDIX. 

and  if  in  it  the  high  and  divine  tone  of  the  original  is  no 
longer  heard,  then  it  is  difficult  for  one  to  realize  that  he 
is  reading  the  Bible,  the  Word  of  God ;  the  same  Bible 
to  the  reading  of  which  for  edification  the  Christianly 
educated  Protestant  has  been  accustomed  from  his  youth, 
and  with  passages  or  texts  from  which  he  has  confirmed 
his  confession  of  faith.  It  is  chiefly  in  this  respect  that 
the  more  modern  translations  of  the  Bible,  in  our  and 
other  languages,  fall  short  in  that  which  is  required  for 
daily  edifying  reading  of  the  Bible  in  Christian  families. 

And  yet  our  old  translation  has  also  in  many  respects 
ceased  to  be  so ;  the  remarkable  decline  in  the  family 
reading  of  the  Bible  is  in  great  measure  to  be  ascribed  to 
this,  that  people  are  no  longer  satisfied  with  simply  read- 
ing the  Bible  without  understanding  it ;  in  reading  which 
one  is  now  constantly  at  a  loss ;  now  umbrage  is  taken  at 
the  style,  then  the  meaning  is  with  difficulty  apprehended  ; 
and  the  book  is  frequently  closed  in  despair,  at  the  most 
beautiful  and  instructive  portions,  especially  of  the  Old 
Testament. 

In  consequence  of  this  I  have  long  entertained  the  idea 
of  undertaking,  not  an  entirely  new  translation  of  the 
Bible,  but  an  improvement  of  the  present  translation  ;  * 
retaining  its  excellent  tone,  its  fidelity,  and  scrupulous- 
ness, also  its  Oriental  phrases,  but  made  sufficiently  intel- 
ligible to  the  Occidental  reader.  Moreover,  applying  the 
more  modern  discoveries  of  philology  with  understanding 
and  moderation  ;  with  no  thirst  for  novelty,  or  ambition 
to  shine  by  means  of  translations  of  my  own ;  always, 
where  perspicuity  and  fidelity  will  permit,  preferring  to 

*  See  ISTos.  277  and  278  of  my  Solomon.  The  question  is  there  pro- 
posed and  left  for  consideration,  whether  a  new  translation  of  the  Bible, 
made  by  ecclesiastical  authority,  be  a  desideratum.  A  good  transla- 
tion for  the  family  would  greatly  relieve  this  want,  if  it  exist,  and  per- 
haps fully  meet  it. 


APPENDIX.  147 

abide  by  the  ordinary  text ;  without  permitting  myself  to 
be  borne  away,  either  by  the  sometimes  too  faint  and 
cold,  or  by  the  sometimes  too  ardent  and  wild  spirit  of 
our  age ;  with  philological,  with  Oriental,  above  all  with 
religious  sensibility.  Though  deeply  sensible  of  the  mag- 
nitude of  this  labor,  I  have  felt  constrained  to  undertake 
it,  whilst  my  years  and  my  powers  of  mind  and  body 
permit  it ;  the  full  maturity  of  which  seems  to  me  a  requi- 
site to  the  work.  Familiarity  with  the  Oriental  mode  of 
thought  and  expression,  prevailing  equally  in  both  por- 
tions of  the  Bible,  and  with  the  languages  in  which  both 
are  written  ;  a  certain  ease  in  placing  myself  in  the  sense 
and  style  of  the  biblical  writers,  and  the  consciousness 
that  I  aim  at  delivering  nothing  of  my  own,  nothing  but 
the  word  of  God ;  but  above  all,  reliance  on  the  assistance 
of  the  Almighty,  moved  by  whose  Spirit  the  holy  men 
spake,  —  are  the  grounds  on  which  I  boldly  undertake  this 
great  work,  and  dare  expect  that  all  who  are  acquainted 
with  me  and  my  writings,  will  aid  in  the  furtherance  of 
my  object. 

I  enter  on  this  work  alone,  because,  from  its  nature,  as 
set  forth  above,  it  hardly  admits  of  being  a  joint  produc- 
tion of  several  laborers ;  such  a  course  has  its  peculiar 
difficulties,  and  would  deprive  my  fellow-laborers  of  too 
many  years  of  their  valuable  lives.  Though  not  pre- 
sumptuous enough  to  compare  myself,  even  at  a  distance, 
with  Luther,  I  may  however  add,  that  this  great  man, 
provided  with  very  slender  helps  for  translating  the  Bible, 
yet  was  for  his  time  eminently  successful  in  it,  because 
he  understood  Bible  language  and  Bible  sense. 

Great  preparations  often  lead  to  very  insignificant  re- 
sult?, and  objects  of  the  greatest  importance  are  secured 
by  feeble  means.  However  this  may  be,  it  may  be  safely 
affirmed  that  he  who  desires  a  translation  of  the  Bible 


148  APPENDIX. 

which  satisfies  all,  and  in  which  the  sense  of  all  difficult 
passages  is  so  expressed  as  to  admit  of  no  dispute  on  the 
part  of  linguists,  desires  an  impossibility ;  desires  that 
which  cannot  at  least  be  attained  by  joint  labor,  and  that 
which,  in  a  book  that  is  designed  to  be  an  object  of  per- 
petual investigation,  must  perhaps  never  be  fully  attained. 
Let  it  not,  however,  be  thought  that  I  shall  leave  any 
efforts  untried  to  secure,  in  order  to  the  greater  perfec- 
tion of  my  work,  the  counsel,  the  aid,  and  the  views  of 
the  principal  linguists  and  biblical  scholars  in  our  coun- 
try ;  I  hereby  invite  them,  and  promise  to  make  use  of 
their  labor,  not  only  with  gratitude  and  honorable  mention, 
but  also  in  other  ways  to  their  pleasure  and  satisfaction. 
Finally,  the  nature  and  expensiveness  of  this  undertaking 
render  it  absolutely  necessary  that  it  be  done  by  subscrip- 
tion. 

LETTER  OF  DR.  VAN  KAATHOVEN. 

LETTER  OF  DR.  C.  W.  K.  VAN  KAATHOVEN  TO  THE 
WRITER,  RESPECTING  VAN  DER  PALM'S  CONSTITU- 
TION,   SICKNESS,    AND    DEATH. 

There  are  few  cases  of  sickness  the  particulars  of 
which  I  so  distinctly  remember  as  those  of  the  worthy 
deceased ;  for  it  was  not  obscure  in  its  nature,  or  doubtful 
in  its  development,  and  its  termination  confirmed  the  pre- 
diction. But  there  is  also  no  case  of  sickness  the  treat- 
ment of  which  is  more  vividly  impressed  on  my  memory 
than  that,  with  which  was  connected  so  much  that  was 
useful  and  pleasant,  as  well  as  difficult  and  unpleasant. 
It  was  not  encouraging  to  hear  him,  whom  we  and  so 
many  others  would  gladly  have  retained,  for  whom  we 
were  willing  to  vie  with  each  other  in  making  trial  of 
every  means  that  might  alleviate  his  sufferings,  after  long- 


APPENDIX.  149 

continued  fruitless  efforts  for  this  purpose,  after  a  patient 
and  faithful  following  of  the  prescriptions,  finally  pro- 
nounce the  sentence :  "  How  very  poor  is  your  art !  "  He 
was  too  kind  not  to  ascribe  this  impotence  to  the  art, 
rather  than  to  him  who  practised  it ;  and  as  if  to  compen- 
sate for  its  unpleasantness,  he  added :  "  But  you  are 
faithful,  and  I  ought  not  to  forget  that  the  lingering  death 
of  old  age  is  a  continued  suffering,  as  long  as  the  spirit, 
retaining  its  consciousness,  remains  united  to  the  body." 
If  it  were  not  too  vain  in  me,  I  should  now,  as  I  fre- 
quently did  then,  compare  my  trying  situation  of  being 
willing  but  not  able  to  help,  to  that  of  Zimmermann  at  the 
sick-bed  of  Frederick  the  Second.  Like  him,  I  stood 
there  in  my  professional  character  in  the  presence  of  a 
great  man  of  comprehensive  knowledge,  who  well  knew 
the  limits  of  our  knowledge  and  skill,  what  we  could 
cure  or  only  mitigate,  and  that  in  practice  everything  de- 
pends on  the  principles  of  our  art  being  applied  with 
sound  judgment.  By  this  therefore  he  tested  every 
remedy  prescribed,  and  the  explication  of  his  condition. 
It  was  not  always  easy  in  the  treatment  of  his  disease  to 
proceed  in  the  chosen  way,  when  he,  with  the  authority 
of  an  experienced  traveller,  pointed  out  now  this,  then 
that  way,  by  which  the  desired  end  might  be  more 
speedily  attained.  Courage  was  required  to  maintain 
one's  position  against  him,  when  he,  who  had  been  accus- 
tomed as  a  master  to  treat  and  direct  the  subject  which 
he  had  selected,  weary  of  this  fluctuation,  seemed,  by 
wishing  to  do  nothing  or  too  much,  to  long  for  shipwreck 
and  storm,  because  the  long-continued  fluctuation,  without 
prospect  of  a  speedy  determination,  seemed  to  him  intol- 
erable, without  rest  or  relief,  inexplicable.  Then  it  was 
often  difficult  for  me  not  to  concede  too  much,  but  to 
remain  steadfast  in  the  faithful  care  of  that  which  was 


150  APPENDIX. 

intrusted  to  me,  and  not  to  give  it  up,  till  the  strength  of 
the  elements  should  submerge  the  shattered  bark.  Such 
was  my  condition  in  presence  of  the  man  whom  you  as 
well  as  I  have  seen  suffer,  and  you  will  not  have  for- 
gotten how  difficult  was  that  position.  To  you,  who  are 
charged  with  the  task  of  writing  his  life,  it  may  not  per- 
haps be  a  matter  of  indifference  to  know  what  were  the 
thoughts  and  contemplations  that  arose  in  my  mind  by 
the  sick-bed  of  him  whom  wTe  honored  for  his  great  mind, 
but  also  loved  for  his  gentle  disposition.  So  much,  indeed, 
that  lies  concealed  in  a  man,  reveals  itself  to  the  physi- 
cian, and  can  perhaps  by  him  alone  be  judged  of  justly, 
and  so  with  proper  allowance.  For  even  the  great  Van 
der  Palm  was,  during  his  sickness,  often  in  such  a  frame 
of  mind  as  is  every  mortal  that  suffers  long. 

During  the  long  time  that  I  was  Van  der  Palm's  family 
physician,  he  was  seldom  sick.  With  the  exception  of  a 
troublesome  alvus,  he  was  exempt  from  those  diseases  of 
the  learned,  which,  proceeding  from  a  sedentary  life,  so 
often  mar  the  serenity  and  contentment  of  old  age.  I 
remember  that,  at  an  earlier  period,  speaking  on  the  value 
of  the  pulse  in  judging  of  diseases,  he  remarked  to  me 
that  one  could  enjoy  health  with  an  intermittent  pulse ; 
and  when  I  examined  his,  I  found  it,  as  I  did  most  com- 
monly afterwards,  very  irregular  and  quick.  Notwith- 
standing this  phenomenon,  he  might,  though  debilitated  by 
age,  be  regarded  as  healthy  even  to  the  last  years  of  his 
life,  and,  although  the  body  tottered,  although  the  hand 
trembled,  the  mind  remained  clear  and  energetic ;  it 
seemed  as  if  the  organs  alone  were  unwilling  or  unable 
to  obey,  as  formerly,  that  powerful  intellect.  The  first 
sign  of  disease  revealed  itself  by  restlessness  during  the 
night;  this  was  frequently  passed  by  him  in  sleepless- 
ness ;  and  it  seemed  to  be  due  in  part  to  the  more  hori- 


APPENDIX.  151 

zontal  position  in  bed,  as   the  noonday  nap   was  often 
refreshing,  and  this  was  taken  in  a  chair.     This  want  of 
rest  occasioned  weariness  during  the  day  ;  the  digestion 
of  the  food  became  more  difficult ;  and  yet  it  was  in  this 
feeble  condition  that  he,  in  the  summer  of  1839,  at  his 
villa,  began  the  second  sequel  to  his  u  Solomon."     But 
after  that,  and  especially  in  the  beginning  of  1840,  the 
difficulties  of  the  night  increased  ;  sleeplessness  was  ac- 
companied by  distress,  and  from  these  and  other  symp- 
toms it  quickly  appeared  that  the  circulation  of  the  blood 
was  impeded.      My  previous   opinion,  founded   on   the 
irregularity  of  the  pulse,  that  the  cause  of  these  distresses 
was°to  be  sought,  not  in  the  lungs,  not,  as  he  himself  sup- 
posed, in  the  ossification  of  the  cartilaginous  portion  of 
the  ribs,  which  were  in  consequence  prevented  from  ex- 
panding and  contracting,  but  in  a  morbid  enlargement  of 
the  heart,  or  in  the  ossification  of  the  arteries,  was  con- 
firmed by  increasing  phenomena,  peculiar  to  this  disease ; 
by  the  effect  of  the  so-called  juvantia  et  nocentia.  Opium, 
respecting  which  one  of  the  greatest  physicians  testifies, 
that,  if  he  could  not  employ  it  in  pectoral  diseases,  he 
should   be   unwilling   to   be   a   practitioner,   and   which 
seemed  to  be  indicated  as  the  proper  remedy  for  sleep- 
lessness, afforded  here,  as  in  similar  diseases  of  the  heart, 
but  little  alleviation  ;  large  doses  stupefied,  but  on  awak- 
ing the  distress  was  greater  than  when  it  had  not  been 
taken;  so  that  we  were  obliged  to  desist  from  its   con- 
tinued use.     Digitalis,  which  operates  like  opium  in  dis- 
eases of  the  heart,  was  not  without  its  kindly  influence  ; 
but,  as  my  friend  De  Kruyff  said,  that  it  is  not  difficult  to 
make  indications,  and  to  find  indicate,  but  that  it  is  the 
counter-indications  which  often  disappoint  us,  so  it  was 
here :  whatever  corrigenda  were  tried,  none  were  able  to 
ward  off  the  detrimental  operation  on  the  stomach  and  uri- 


152  APPENDIX. 

nary  canals,  or  to  cause  it  to  cease,  when  this  remedy  had 
been  for  any  length  of  time  employed.  Want  of  nour- 
ishment was  quickly  followed  by  an  acridness  of  the  hu- 
mors, and  after  that  by  an  obstinate  thrush,  which  ex- 
tended to  the  stomach  and  bowels.  The  principal  indica- 
tion was  the  indicatio  vitalis.  Cortex  Peruv.  could  not 
be  borne ;  a  decoctum  album  could  not,  when  taken  in 
sufficient  quantity  ;  it  was  only  dainty  bits,  as  of  fruits, 
that  could  revive  the  sufferer,  and  yield  relief  from  an 
insufferable  thirst.  My  inquiry  as  to  his  condition,  when 
I  visited  him  in  the  morning,  was  rarely  otherwise 
answered  than  by  the  plaintive  exclamation  that  he  had 
been  very  much  oppressed  during  the  night.  In  that 
half  sleeping  and  waking  condition  his  mind  was  often 
harassed  by  thoughts  of  a  religious  or  scientific  nature, 
which  greatly  exhausted  him.  Now  they  were  ideas 
which  had  just  arisen  in  his  mind,  and  which  he  had 
with  difficulty  suppressed  ;  then  they  were  recollections 
of  an  earlier  period,  which  on  awaking  he  desired  to  pur- 
sue, having  relation  to  opinions  of  exegesis  and  exposi- 
tion for  which  he  desired  the  assistance  of  others,  to 
examine  the  authors  on  these  points ;  so  that  these 
dreams  often  possessed  coherence  and  significance,  and 
bore  testimony  to  the  clearness  of  his  intellect.  We  have 
frequently  seen  how  his  mind  was  aroused,  when  a  word 
that  was  uttered,  or  a  movement  around  him,  attracted  his 
attention,  when  we  supposed  that  he  was  slumbering  in 
his  chair ;  how  he  then  raised  himself  up  to  express  his 
opinion  on  the  occurrences  of  the  day,  on  that  which  was 
communicated  or  read  to  him  ;  and  how  he  expressed  his 
views  respecting  them  with  a  positiveness  and  authorita- 
tiveness  which  he  otherwise  rarely  employed  in  speaking 
of  things,  still  more  rarely  when  speaking  of  persons.  It 
was  sad  to  see  him,  though  his  mind  remained  so  clear, 


APPENDIX.  153 

daily  becoming  more  and  more  helpless,  so  that  finally  he 
could  no  longer  leave  his  bed,  which  was  not  for  him,  as 
it  is  for  so  many  sufferers,  a  place  of  rest,  but  which  he 
previously  so  often  desired  to  exchange  for  his  easy-chair, 
in  order  to  get  some  relief.  It  was  affecting,  when  he 
counted  the  days  of  the  week,  to  hear  him  anxiously 
inquire,  "  When  shall  I  be  released  from  my  sufferings  ?  " 
and  during  the  last  week  he  said,  "  Now  I  hope  on  the 
following  Sabbath  to  keep  Sabbath  in  heaven."  To  the 
physician,  who  could  not  afford  relief,  it  was  torturing  to 
witness  the  sufferings ;  to  the  relatives  it  was  painful  to 
behold,  and  difficult  for  them  to  believe  that  these  suffer- 
ings were  not  so  severe  as  they  might  be  ;  one  must 
indeed  have  attended  the  sick  and  dying  bed  of  many 
others,  to  know  how  much  more  eligible  these  were  than 
those  which  so  often  fall  to  the  lot  of  persons  afflicted  with 
this  or  similar  diseases,  where  these  sufferings  are  fre- 
quently aggravated  by  dropsy,  gangrcena  ex  decubitu  ;  one 
must  have  seen  the  scholar  becoming  childish,  when  all 
that  is  intellectual  in  man  is  debased  to  the  animal,  to 
regard  such  sufferings  as  those  of  Van  der  Palm,  if  not 
for  him,  at  least  for  his  relatives,  as  worthy  of  him.  Van 
der  Palm's  sickness  was  the  suffering  and  decline  of  the 
physical  constitution,  whilst  the  psyche  remained  healthy  ; 
or  rather,  the  system  of  reproduction  was  disturbed,  but 
the  cerebral  system,  the  principal  organ  by  which  the 
soul  communicates  itself  to  us,  remained  clear.  His  soul, 
which  was  tranquil  and  full  of  confidence,  could  hereby 
communicate  itself  freely  and  without  embarrassment,  so 
far  as  the  strength  of  the  tissue  permitted,  to  those  by 
whom  he  was  surrounded,  and  who  always  set  a  high 
value  on  the  utterances  of  his  love.  While  others,  still 
corporeally  strong,  were  dead  intellectually,  his  mind  re- 
mained in  health,  even  with  the  increasing  decline  of  the 


154  APPENDIX. 

vegetative  life.  Energetic  and  natural  were  consequently, 
even  to  the  last,  the  expressions  with  which  he  described 
his  condition,  his  sensations,  his  thoughts  ;  and  I  remember 
many  of  them  which  were  subsequently  of  use  to  me. 
Death  finally  came,  preceded  by  a  remarkable  phenome- 
non,— a  fever,  resembling  in  violence  what  is  observed  in  a 
strong  constitution.  During  his  sickness  I  had  discovered 
no  febrile  action  ;  the  result  was  a  clouding  of  the  intel- 
lect, after  that  he,  when  it  set  in,  had  said :  "  This  will 
be  my  last  conflict ;  "  the  lungs,  exhausted  by  this  rapid 
motion  without  proportionate  conveyance  of  blood,  were 
enfeebled  ;  and  his  end  was  so  gentle,  his  breathing 
slowly  becoming  fainter  and  fainter,  we  were  obliged  to 
listen  after  its  cessation,  to  become  convinced  of  his  death. 
He  had  intimated  to  me,  that,  if  I  thought  an  examina- 
tion after  his  death  would  shed  any  light  on  his  disease, 
or  if  for  other  reasons  I  desired  it,  I  should  be  allowed  to 
make  a  post  mortem  examination ;  and  I  requested  per- 
mission of  his 'relatives,  who  did  not  refuse  their  consent. 
It  was  made  by  Professor  Broers ;  and  the  investigation 
proved  that  we  had  not  been  wholly  mistaken  in  the 
diagnosis  of  his  complaint.  An  osseous  induration  of  the 
aorta,  where  it  leaves  the  heart,  an  expansion  and  soft- 
ening of  the  right  heart,  were  the  signs  which  explained 
his  sickness  and  incurable  sufferings.  The  so-called  neg- 
ative proofs  also  confirmed  the  diagnosis,  as  we  found, 
neither  in  the  pericardium  nor  in  the  cavity  of  the  chest, 
more  than  the  usual  quantity  of  serum  ;  the  tissue  of  the 
lungs  was  in  a  healthful  condition,  and  thus  to  a  suffering 
of  these  organs,  commonly  denominated  angina  pectoris, 
could  not  be  ascribed  the  cause  of  his  distresses. 

Is  the  inquiry  made,  what  were  the  remote  causes 
which  laid  the  foundation  for  this  disease  in  the  case  of 
Van   der   Palm  ?     The   principal   ones   enumerated   by 


APPENDIX.  155 

writers  of  authority  are  violent  passions,  care  and  anxi- 
ety, an  irregular  mode  of  life ;  and  of  all  these  we  discover 
none  in  his  life.  Even  under  sore  bereavements  or  great 
disappointments  he  was  tranquil,  not  only  in  the  view  of 
the  world,  but  also  in  his  domestic  circle  ;  though  not  ex- 
empted from  calamities,  his  lot  in  life  was  prosperous  and 
happy  ;  he  was  esteemed  and  loved ;  and  that  he  was 
temperate  his  family  knew,  and  his  guests  could  testify, 
when,  sitting  with  him  at  the  richly  furnished  table,  they 
were  allured  to  ample  enjoyment  rather  by  his  hearty 
encouragement  and  friendly  persuasion  than  by  his  own 
example.  The  cause  I  should  rather  seek  in  the  nature 
of  his  occupations.  Always  of  a  clear  head,  it  was  easy 
for  him  to  occupy  himself  wholly,  without  diversion,  with 
the  subject  on  which  he  wished  to  reflect,  so  that  with  re- 
spect to  all  things  he  was  there  in  mind,  wherever  he  found 
himself  in  body,  —  as  well  when  engaged  in  innocent 
amusement  or  in  promiscuous  society  as  in  the  profounclest 
study  in  private ;  but  by  this  very  means  the  exertion 
was  the  greater ;  and  when  it  is  considered  of  what  na- 
ture were  the  subjects  which  he  treated,  and  how  much 
his  feelings  must  have  been  enlisted,  to  enable  him  to 
express  what  he  has  left  us  in  his  writings,  then  I  can 
easily  conceive  that  the  corporeal  heart  must  often  have 
been  in  violent  motion,  as  the  heart  of  the  soul  was  more 
powerfully  moved ;  that  the  circulation  must  have  been 
accelerated  or  retarded,  as  the  mind  was  absorbed  in  ani- 
mating or  depressing  contemplations.  I  remember  that 
he,  however  exercised  and  prepared,  always  regarded 
with  anxiety  the  day  on  which  he  was  to  preach  ;  and 
when  every  one  thought  that  he  had  determined  too  early 
to  desist  from  preaching,  this  determination  was  the  result 
of  self-knowledge.  He  felt,  that,  although  he  still  pos- 
sessed the  ability  to  compose  a  discourse,  with  all  the 


156  APPENDIX. 

glow  and  warmth  of  earlier  times,  the  performance  would 
not  be  as  he  desired ;  he  no  longer  confided  in  his  ability 
to  remain  master  of  his  emotions  in  its  delivery ;  and  it 
was  as  if  the  strength  of  the  organic  disease  had  devel- 
oped itself  to  such  a  degree  that  it  could  no  longer  be 
controlled  by  the  mind.  To  Van  der  Palm,  whose  hu- 
mility was  not  artificial,  but  who,  in  estimating  his  gifts, 
judged  of  them  as  if  they  were  not  his  own.  it  was  not 
so  difficult  to  withdraw  from  the  applauding  admiration 
to  which  he  was  accustomed,  when  he  felt  that  his  power 
of  delivery  was  impaired.  Hence  he  did  not  survive  his 
fame,  but  preserved  it  in  all  its  inimitable  originality.  It 
was  during  the  last  days  of  his  life  that  he,  alluding  to  the 
nature  of  his  disease,  facetiously  remarked  :  "  And  now  it 
is  still  said,  at  the  close  of  my  life,  that  my  heart  is  not 
right !  "  etc. 


FUNERAL  ADDRESSES. 

ADDRESS   OF    PROFESSOR    VAN    HENGEL. 

And  Van  der  Palm,  too,  must  die  !  Already  we  stand 
here  by  his  coffin,  whilst  the  sad  tidings  are  spreading  far 
and  wide  through  the  provinces  of  our  country,  and  great 
and  small,  learned  and  unlearned,  are  lamenting  his  death  ! 
We  have  lost  a  man,  such  as  but  seldom  appears  in  the 
world,  — great  as  a  professor  in  the  University,  great  as  an 
expositor  of  the  Bible,  great  as  an  orator  ;  and  at  the 
same  time  amiable  as  a  man,  humble  and  modest  as  a. 
minister  of  Christ.  What  he  was  before  God,  was  testi- 
fied to  the  last  by  those  days  and  weeks  and  months  of 
trial  into  which  he  was  brought,  that  he  might  become 
more  and  more  closely  united  to  heaven.  To  speak  of 
him  now  as  he  deserves,  I  regard  as  far  above  my  pow- 
ers ;   but  more  than  forty  years  ago  I  sat   under   his 


APPENDIX.  157 

instructions,  and  hung  on  his  lips,  and  gathered  stores  of 
knowledge  from  him,  to  which  I  was  more  indebted  than 
I  can  acknowledge,  even  then,  when,  called  to  Leyden 
as  professor  in  the  University,  I  stood  at  his  side  .... 
Supply  for  yourselves  what  I  cannot  express,  ye,  his  dear 
relatives,  pupils,  colleagues,  friends.  But  words  certainly 
fail  you  too,  to  express  the  feelings  of  your  heart  at  this 
moment.  You  feel  the  unspeakableness  of  the  loss  which 
the  Church,  the  country,  which  you,  have  sustained.  But 
you  fervently  rejoice,  that  what  we  see  before  us  are 
only  the  material  remains,  enclosed  in  a  narrow  casement 
of  wood.  Himself  we  follow  in  imagination  into  those 
regions  whence  we  hear  it  proclaimed  to  us  :  Blessed  are 
the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord !  Thither  his  works  follow 
him,  however  small  and  insignificant  they  were  in  his  own 
eyes.  And  to  the  world,  from  which  he  has  departed,  he 
will  continue  to  speak,  as  long  as  there  shall  be  a  pos- 
terity that  appreciates  such  a  gift  of  Providence. 

Approach  gently,  ye  bearers,  take  the  coffin,  lower  it 
into  the  grave,  cover  the  corpse  with  dust,  as  it  was 
formed  of  the  dust  and  to  dust  must  return  ! 

The  last  duty  which  we  owed  to  the  remains  of  the 
man  never  to  be  forgotten,  has  now  been  performed.  To 
thee,  Katwijk's  solitary  down,  it  is  now  intrusted,  to  pre- 
serve it  from  the  waves  of  the  sea  !  If  thou  know  not 
whom  thou  hast  hidden  in  thy  bosom,  it  shall  be  told  thee 
a  thousand  times  by  the  stranger,  when  he  walks  through 
this  quiet  resting-place  of  the  dead.  Thou  wilt  not  how- 
ever hear  it,  dear  Van  der  Palm,  whilst  thy  bones  repose 
beside  those  of  thy  colleagues,  friends,  tender  relatives ! 
Yet  thou  needest  to  hear  nothing  more  of  what  pertains 
to  a  world  in  which  thou  hast  ceased  to  be  a  citizen.    Thy 


158  APPENDIX. 

death,  we  believe  it,  thy  death  was  a  transition  to  those 
higher  spheres,  in  which  the  love  of  God,  proclaimed  by 
thee  here  below,  is  now  enjoyed  by  thee  in  its  fulness. 
There  thou  livest  immortal ;  but,  though  thou  hast  left 
us,  thou  art  also  immortal  on  earth.  Repose  quietly  now 
on  thy  couch,  having  finished  thy  great  task  !  Sleep 
gently,  noble  man  !  We  part  from  thy  bones,  till  we  also 
are  borne  to  the  kingdom  of  the  dead  ;  but  we  part  in  the 
hope  of  a  better  life.  There  shall  we,  if  God  hear  our 
prayer,  meet  thee  far  more  glorious  than  thou  wast  here, 
and  rejoice  with  thee,  after  that  we,  animated  by  thy 
word  and  thy  example,  have  followed  Him,  who  can 
never  be  sufficiently  praised,  who  worked  while  it  was 
day,  whom  we  also  desire  to  see  as  our  Redeemer  and 
Saviour,  as  we  trust  that  he  is  noAV  seen  by  thee. 


ADDRESS    OF    REV.   J.    DERMOUT. 

Think  it  not  strange  that  the  highly  esteemed  col- 
league is  succeeded  by  a  so  much  younger,  but  equally 
grateful  pupil.  For  the  relatives  and  friends  of  the  cele- 
brated man,  whom  we  all  honored,  desired  also  to  hear 
the  expression  of  their  own  sentiments  at  the  grave  of 
the  amiable  and  never-to-be-forgotten  man,  whom  they  in 
different  relations  so  fervently  loved.  His  image  is  viv- 
idly before  us  in  all  that  he  performed  and  achieved  that 
was  good  and  beautiful  and  great,  in  his  unsurpassed 
merits,  in  his  imperishable  fame  ;  but  only  to  mention 
these  on  the  holy  place,  where  greatness  and  fame  dis- 
appear ;  only  to  think  of  his  great  name,  though  that  will 
be  immortal,  —  of  his  public  life  and  works,  though  the 
fruits  of  these  shall  be  reaped  by  remote  posterity  ;  — 
from  simply  doing  this  he  would  himself  prohibit  us, 
could  he  still  address  us,  who  set  us  an  example  of  hum- 


APPENDIX.  159 

ble  modesty,  and  departed  as  the  humble  servant  of  his 
Lord.     Here,  where  also  love  abides,  let  the  hearts  of 
those  speak  whom  he  loved,  and  in  whose  heart  he  will 
ever  be  embalmed.     From  the  fulness  of  our  hearts  we 
here  speak  of  what  we  shall  miss  in  his  intercourse,  his 
cares,  his  cordial  affection  descending  and  communicating 
itself  to  us  ;  of  what  we  were  permitted  to  enjoy  to  the 
last,  and  which  we  cannot  yet  resign  without   emotion. 
Did  he  live  long  for  his  country  and  posterity,  for  the 
Church  and  the  University,  we  should  almost  say  his  life 
was  far  too  short  to  satisfy  the  desires  of  our  hearts.    Our 
loss  of  his  love  can  least  of  all,  can  never  be  compen- 
sated.   In  your  name  I  say  it,  who  are  here  present  of  his 
pupils,  who  will  ever  esteem  it  a  high  honor  to  have  been 
instructed  in  his  school,  but  a  still  greater  honor  that  he 
never  forgot  you,  so  fondly  denominated  you  his  friends, 
and  continued  to  embrace  you  with  paternal  care.     You 
say  it  with  me,  very  learned  men,  who  stood  at  his  side, 
and  experienced  that  your  honor  and  your  pleasure  were 
as  dear  to  him  as  his  own.     Your  grief  testifies  it,  friends 
of  his  house,  by  whom  he  permitted  himself  to  be  so  en- 
tirely known  in  his  amiableness  towards  all,  to  mingle  with 
whom  was  his  recreation,  his  pleasure,   his  life.     You 
above  all  think  of  it  now,  his  kinsmen,  sons-in-law,  and 
grandsons,  to  whom  he  so  cheerfully  gave    the  dearest 
that  he  had  to  give,  in  whose  circle  and  family  he  in 
truth  lived  and  manifested  himself  in  his  own  greatness, 
in   humble  and  lovely  humanity,  seeking  in  love  pure 
pleasure,  by  means  of   love  diffusing  cheerfulness  and 
happiness.     If  it  belong  to  his  family  rightly  to  have 
known  and  loved  him,  this  is  our  honor  and  our  incom- 
parable privilege;  this  his  memory  makes  his  grave  to 
us  so  sacred  and  so  dear ! 

And  do  we  see  him,  after  a  long  and  useful  life,  trans- 


160  APPENDIX. 

ferred  to  a  higher  sphere,  our  love  dares  hardly  lament 
our  loss,  which  is  his  unspeakable  and  eternal  gain.  We 
bring  his  material  remains  to  the  place  which  he  so 
fondly  represented  to  himself,  towards  which  he  looked 
with  languishing  eyes,  much  tried  and  wearied  with  con- 
flict, but  thankful,  submissive,  hoping  to  the  end.  This 
is  the  sacred  resting-place  which  he  selected  for  himself 
more  than  twenty  years  ago  ;  when  several  of  you,  with 
me,  saw  him  weep  here  tears  of  indescribable  grief  and 
bitter  anguish  of  heart.  Hither,  where  he  had  collected 
the  dust  of  his  family,  of  an  only  son,  of  a  devoted  wife, 
of  the  daughter  who  was  the  stay  of  his  old  age,  his 
strongest  aspirations  constantly  tended,  when  obliged  to 
bend  under  the  storms  of  life.  Oh,  we  remember  that  his 
severest  trials  were  experienced  in  those  whom  he  so  ten- 
derly loved  !  And  we  do  not  complain  that  he  desired  to 
leave  us,  to  be  reunited  to  those  who  had  been  his,  and  to 
whom  his  heart  continued  to  cleave.  We  rather  repre- 
sent to  ourselves  the  blessedness  which  he  now  enjoys  in 
them  and  with  them.  Yea,  our  sanctified  imagination 
represents  him  to  us  as  being  raised  above  this  grave, 
with  them  seeing  the  Lord,  whom  he  had  not  beheld,  but 
in  whom  he  so  filially  confided,  whom  he  so  highly  honored, 
so  fervently  loved.  His  voice  comes  as  for  the  last  time 
to  us,  saying :  "  Remember  how  I  have  "preached  him  as 
the  precious  Redeemer,  the  mighty  Prince  of  life  ;  how  I 
have  glorified  him  in  death  as  the  source  of  all  grace. 
He  is  faithful ;  his  reward  is  in  his  hand  ;  I  have  entered 
into  the  joy  of  my  Lord  !  " 

We  leave  his  dust  in  the  guardian  care  of  the  Almighty. 
We  go  hence  to  honor  his  name,  to  preserve  sacred  the 
relation  in  which  we  stood  to  him,  to  remember  his  love, 
to  walk  in  his  faith  and  his  hope.  We  desire  also  so  to 
die  and  to  be  buried,  not  indeed  to  be  all  so  highly  re- 


APPENDIX.  161 

nowned,  but  to  be  equally  loved  and  lamented.  May  his 
most  precious  legacy  to  us  be  his  spirit,  which,  resting 
upon  us,  shall  distinguish  us  as  his  true  disciples,  friends, 
and  sons.  Learning  of  him  to  love  God  and  man,  and 
having  his  amiableness  impressed  upon  us,  may  we  cher- 
ish an  ardent  desire  to  see  him  again,  and  with  him  to 
live  to  Jesus  Christ,  the  source  of  his  love,  the  object  of 
his  hope ! 

ADDRESS  OF  REV.  A.  L.  VAN  DER  BOON  MESCH  TO  THE 
DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  DECEASED. 

We  have  just  returned  from  the  grave,  having  con- 
signed the  mortal  remains  of  the  precious  man  to  its  silent 
abode.  Could  you  have  witnessed  *the  impressive  so- 
lemnity, beheld  the  countenances  of  all  who  were  present, 
heard  the  outpouring  of  the  moved  and  smitten  heart ; 
could  you  have  read  the  souls  of  speakers  and  hearers, 
and  penetrated  their  inward  emotions  and  sentiments,  — 
you  would  have  been  greatly  strengthened  and  confirmed 
in  your  conviction  that  your  beloved  husbands  and  your 
beloved  sons,  that  we  who  as  his  familiar  friends  with 
them  followed  his  corpse,  that  his  very  learned  colleagues, 
men  celebrated  in  different  departments  of  knowledge, 
that  the  worthy  ministers  of  God's  holy  Word,  that  the 
noble  youth  of  this  University,  that  the  whole  assembled 
multitude,  highly  esteemed,  loved,  and  honored  your  ven- 
erated father. 

Is  it  to  you  in  your  sorrow  a  sustaining  thought  that  his 
dust  is  with  that  of  those  who  have  previously  died,  whom 
you  can  never  forget,  preserved  in  the  same  cemetery  in 
Katwijk's  down  ;  a  more  sublime  comfort  the  gospel  of 
immortality  pours  into  your  hearts,  by  the  assurance  that 
your  dead,  who  have  died  in  the  Lord,  are  blessed,  and 
that  their  souls,  redeemed  by  Jesus  Christ,  are  united  in 
11 


162  APPENDIX. 

heaven.  How  will  your  beatified  father  thank  the  God 
of  love  for  the  love  you  have  borne  him,  for  the  joy  you 
have  imparted  to  him,  for  the  interest,  care,  and  fidelity 
you  have  shown  him,  especially  during  the  painful  and 
dreary  days  and  nights,  weeks  and  months  of  his  trial 
and  suffering.  How  ardently  will  he,  before  the  throne 
of  the  Redeemer,  desire  for  you,  that  you,  having  trav- 
elled the  way  of  faith,  of  love,  and  hope,  after  longer  or 
shorter  separation,  may  be  received  into  the  regions  of 
indescribably  glorious  reunion. 

With  Christ,  who  is  the  resurrection  and  the  life,  in 
your  hearts,  and  humbly  looking  up  to  God  for  his  pater- 
nal assistance,  it  will  be  your  earnest  endeavor  to  fulfil 
this  wish  of  heavenly  love.  With  the  striking  image1 
of  the  venerated  man  before  our  eyes,  we  all  solemnly 
testify  that  it  shall  be,  in  the  strength  of  our  God,  our 
governing  purpose  and  diligent  endeavor. 

Thus  shall  we  show  that  we  gratefully  love  him,  and 
worthily  honor  his  memory.  Then,  through  the  riches 
of  divine  grace,  we  shall  finally  be  received  where  he  is, 
to  rejoice  eternally  with  him  in  the  house  of  our  Heavenly 
Father. 

THE  LIKENESS. 

The  likeness  which  adorns  this  biographical  sketch  was 
taken  by  Mr.  Lange  from  the  excellent  engraving  of  his 
father-in-law,  Velin,  issued  in  1827,  in  quarto,  by  the  pub- 
lishers of  this  work.  That  engraving  was  made  after  a 
full-length  portrait,  painted,  in  1826,  by  the  accomplished 
Hodges.  Van  der  Palm  was  then  sixty-three  years  old, 
and  thus  in  the  fairest  period  of  his  declining  life.  The 
likeness  leaves  nothing  to  be  desired.     A  well-executed 

1  The  -well-known  portrait  of  the  deceased,  so  exactly  resembling 
him,  hung  in  the  apartment. 


APPENDIX.  163 

copy  of  this  portrait  has  been  presented  by  the  family  to 
the  Leyden  University,  which  is  placed  in  the  senate 
chamber.  Such  alteration  only  is  made  in  the  costume 
as  that  location  rendered  necessary.  There  exists  still 
another  portrait  of  Van  der  Palm  as  Council  of  Internal 
Affairs,  painted  by  Smith ;  and  one  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
eight,  by  Davidson.     The  last  is  less  happily  executed. 


VAN  DER  PALM'S  CHILDREN. 

CHILDREN  OF  J.    H.    VAN    DER    PALM    AND    ALIDA    BUSS- 

INGH.1 

A  son,  still-born,  May  4th,  1789. 

Cornelia  Mathilda,  wife  of  Mr.  P.  Loopuyt,  in  Schie- 
dam. 

Jacoba  Elizabeth,  (named  Jacoba  after  Lady  van 
de  Perre,)  now  dowager  of  the  young  nobleman  D.  van 
Foreest,  Lord  of  Schorel,  etc.,  Member  of  the  States- 
General,  etc.,  who  died  in  Alkmaar  in  1833.  Her  third 
son,  Johannes  Henricus,  bears,  with  that  of  Van  Foreest, 
the  name  of  Van  der  Palm. 

Elizabeth  Henriette,  born  February  21st,  1794,  de- 
ceased June  26th,  1836. 

A  son,  born  November  8th,  1797,  died  unbaptized  in 
November  of  the  same  year. 

Jan  Willem,  born  November  28th,  1798,  perished  in 
the  calamity  of  Leyden,  January  12th,  1807. 

Hendrik  Albert,  so  named  after  Schultens,  born  April 
8th,  1802,  deceased  November  14th,  1819. 

Adelaide  Louise,  wife  of  Lord  G.  Andre  de  la  Porte, 
in  Arnhem. 

Anna  Catharina. 

i  Faithful  to  the  ancient  custom  of  his  country,  Van  der  Palm  re- 
corded their  names  and  birthdays  in  his  large  folio  Bible. 


164  APPENDIX. 

MEMBERSHIPS. 

Van  der  Palm,  besides  being  a  member  of  the  second 
class  of  the  Royal  Netherland  Institute,  was  successively 
member,  honorary,  or  corresponding  member  of  the  fol- 
lowing societies  and  fraternities  :    Studium   Scientiarum 
Genetrix  in  Rotterdam,  Zealand  Society  of  Sciences  in 
Vlissingen,  Batavian  Society  of  Experimental  Philosophy 
in  Rotterdam,  Society  for  the  Study  of  Experimental  Phi- 
losophy  at  the  Hague,  Holland  Society  of  Sciences  in 
Haarlem,  Batavian  Society  of  Philology  and  Poetry,  So- 
ciety of  Dutch  Literature  in  Leyden,  Diligentia  in  Gra- 
venhage,  Diversity  and  Agreement  in  Rotterdam,  Doctrina 
et  Amicitia  in  Amsterdam,  Felix  Meritis  in  Amsterdam, 
Holland   Society  of  Fine  Arts  and  Sciences,  Academie 
Royale  des  Beaux  Arts  d'Anvers,  Royal  Society  of  Na- 
tional Language  and  Literature  in  Bruges,  Royal  Society 
of  Language   and   Poetry  in   Antwerp,  Royal    Society 
Concordia  in  Brussels,  Society  of  Dutch  Language  and 
Literature  in   Ghent,  Societe  Asiatique   a  Paris,  Royal 
Academy  of  Imitative  Arts  in  Amsterdam,  Dutch  Lan- 
guage and  Literature  in  St.  Nicolaes,  Royal  Academy  of 
Imitative  Arts  in  Antwerp,  Hague  Society  for  the  De- 
fence of  Revealed  Religion,  Society  for  the  Benefit  of 
the  Public,  Scientific  Fraternity  in  Batavia. 


WORKS   OF  VAN  DER  PALM. 

VAN   DER   PALM'S   WORKS. 

1784.  Ecclesiastes  Philologice  et  Critice  Illustratus. 
Lugd.-Bat.     8vo. 

1791.  Certain  Songs  of  David.  Middelburg  and  Dor- 
drecht.    Of  this  there  was  in  1815  a  second  edition, 


APPENDIX.  165 

with  the  addition  of  All  the  Songs  of  Asaph.  Ley- 
den.  8vo. 
1796.  Thanksgiving  Address,  delivered  in  the  East 
Church  in  Middelburg,  at  the  Festival  of  the  Alliance 
of  the  French  and  Dutch  Republics,  by  order  of  the 
Municipality  of  the  same  City.  Middelburg.  8vo. 
No.  20  of  "  The  Friend  of  the  People." 
"  Oration  on  Popularity,  delivered  before  the  Patri- 
otic Society  in  Middelburg.  Middelburg.  8vo.  No. 
37  of  "  The  Friend  of  the  People." 

1800.  Oration  on  occasion  of  the  National  Festival,  De- 
cember 19th,  1799,  in  name  and  on  account  of  the 
Executive  Government  of  the  Batavian  Republic, 
delivered  at  the  Hague,  by  the  Minister  of  National 
Education.     Gravenhage.     8vo. 

1801.  Address  of  the  Minister  of  National  Education,  at 
the  Opening  of  the  Convention  of  School  Superin- 
tendents, July  16th,  1801.     Gravenhage.     8vo. 

1803.  Address  of  the  President  J.  H.  van  der  Palm,  at 
the  Opening  of  the  Assembly  of  Deputies  from  the 
Departmental  School  Directories,  September  22d, 
1803.     Gravenhage.     8vo. 

1805.  Isaiah,  translated  and  elucidated.  3  vols.  Gra- 
venhage.   8vo.     Second  edition.     Rotterdam.     1841. 

1806.  Oratio  inauguralis  de  Oratore  Sacro,  Litterarum 
Divinarum  Interprete.     Lugd.-Bat.     Quarto. 

1807.  The  Council  of  the  City  of  Leyden  to  the  Inhab- 
itants of  the  Kingdom  of  Holland,  respecting  the 
Calamity  of  January  12th,  1807.     Fol. 

1808.  Oration  at  the  Festival  of  the  Order  of  the  Union, 
April  25th,  1808;  occurring  in  the  work  entitled: 
Festival  of  the  Order  of  the  Union.  Amsterdam. 
8vo.     And  again,  with  the 

1809.  Oration  at  the  Festival  of  the  Order  of  the  Union, 


166  APPENDIX. 

September  4th,  1809,  in :  Records  of  the  Royal  Order 
of  the  Union,  for  the  years  1807,  1808,  and  1809. 
Amsterdam.  8vo.  Both  these  works  seem  to  have 
been  prepared  under  Van  der  Palm's  eye. 

1808-9.    Sermons.     3  vols.      8vo.     Reprinted  in . 

Amsterdam.  Reprinted  again  in  1824.  Dordrecht. 
1808-16.  Solomon.  6  vols.  Comprising  the  Exposition 
of  Proverbs  x.-xxii.  16.  Amsterdam.  8vo.  Re- 
printed 1821-1824.  Gravenhage.  And  printed  the 
third  time  in  7  vols.  1834,  1835.  Leeuwarden. 
1810,  1818,  1824,  1829.  Essays,  Discourses,  and  Scat- 
tered Writings.     4  vols.     Amsterdam.     8vo. 

Vol.  I.  On  David,  contemplated  principally  as  a 
Poet. 

On  the  True  Nature  of  Eloquence. 

Certain  Poetic  Descriptions  of  Nature  from  the 
Book  of  Job. 

On  Mahomet,  two  Orations,  drawn  from  the  Au- 
thor's Latin  Oration  De  Mohammede,  delivered  in 
Ley  den  in  the  year  1798,  and  not  published. 

On  General  Benevolence. 

On  Self-love. 

On  occasion  of  a  Musical  Concert  at  Christmas. 

On  occasion  of  a  Musical  Concert  for  the  Benefit 
of  those  who  suffered  from  the  Inundation. 

Eulogy  on  Lord  J.  A.  van  der  Perre.  (Previ- 
ously published  separately.  Middelburg.    1792.  8vo.) 

Vol.  II.  On  the  Eloquence  of  Cicero. 

On  Arabic  Poetry. 

On  the  Design  and  Excellence  of  the  Book  of  Job. 

On  the  Judgment  of  Posterity.  (Of  this  oration 
there  is  an  edition  with  an  English  translation  by  B. 
S.  Naylor  on  the  opposite  page.  Amsterdam.  1837. 
8vo.) 


APPENDIX.  167 

Patriotic  Utterances.  (Previously  published  sep- 
arately.    Leyden.     1813.     8vo.) 

Joyful  Prospects  of  the  Netherlands.  (Previously 
published  separately.     Leyden.     1813.     8vo.) 

The  Peace  of  Europe.  (Previously  published 
separately.     Leyden.     1814.     8vo.) 

Christian  Exhortation  to  Heroism.  (Previously 
published  separately.     Leyden.     1815.     8vo.) 

Vol.  III.  Treatise  on  the  Koran. 

Oration  in  Commemoration  of  E.  A.  Borger.  (Pre- 
viously published  separately  with  a  poem  of  Tollens. 
Leyden.     1821.     8vo.) 

Oration  on  the  Contempt  or  Neglect  of  the  Rules  of 
Art.  (Previously  printed  in  the  Report  of  the  Second 
Class  of  the  Royal  Netherland  Institute.  Amster- 
dam.    1820.     4to.) 

Oration  on  Mediocrity.  (Previously  printed  in  the 
Works  of  the  Holland  Society  of  Fine  Arts  and 
Sciences.     Vol.  v.  art.  2.     Leyden.     1823.     8vo.) 

Essay  on  Sound  Judgment. 

My  Recollections  of  J.  Bellamy.  (Previously  pub- 
lished in :  Monument  to  J.  Bellamy,  published  by  W. 
A.  Ockerse  and  A.  Kleyn,  geb.  Ockerse.  Haarlem. 
1822.     8vo.) 

Oration  at  the  Fourth  Centennial  Festival  of  the 
Discovery  of  the  Art  of  Printing  in  Haarlem.  (Pre- 
viously published  separately.  Haarlem.  1823.  8vo. 
And  placed  in  the  Memorial  of  that  festival.  Haar- 
lem.    1824.     8vo.) 

Sermon  at  the  Ordination  of  J.  E.  Kist. 

Vol.  IV.  Second  Essay  on  the  Design  and  Excel- 
lence of  the  Book  of  Job. 

On  the  Influence  of  the  External,  etc. 

On  Certain  Characteristics  and  Requirements  of 
Simplicity  of  Style. 


168  APPENDIX. 

On  Self-knowledge.  (Previously  printed  in  the 
Works  of  the  Holland  Society  of  Fine  Arts  and  Sci- 
ences.    Vol.  viii.  art.  1.     Leyden.     1829.     8vo.) 

Funeral  Discourse  on  J.  M.  Kemper.  (Previously 
printed  in :  Kemper  commemorated  by  H.  H.  Klijn, 
J.  H.  van  der  Palm,  and  B.  Klijn,  Bz.  Amsterdam. 
8vo.)  A  French  translation  of  this  discourse  by  V. 
Deflinne  appeared.     Tournay.     1825.     8vo. 

At  the  Celebration  of  the  250th  Anniversary  of 
Leyden's  Relief.  (Previously  published  separately. 
Leyden.     1824.     8vo.) 

For  the  Religious  Preparation  for  the  Celebration 
of  the  University  Jubilee.  (Previously  published 
separately.     Leyden.     1825.     8vo.) 

Reminiscence  of  the  Time  spent  in  the  University, 
delivered  at  a  Festal  Celebration.     (Previously  pub- 
lished separately.     Leyden.     1828.     8vo.) 
1811-1822.  Ten  series  of  Sermons  of  six  each.   Leyden. 

8vo. 
1811-1834.  Bible  for  Youth.    24  vols.    Leyden.    12mo. 
Constantly  reprinted. 

In  school  form  in  12  vols.     1835-1837.     Leyden. 

A  German  translation  of  the  first  volume  appeared, 
bearing  the  title  :  Ueber  die  Mosa'ische  Erziihlung  von 
der  Schopfung  der  Welt  und  dem  Falle  des  Men- 
schen,  iibersetzt  von  A.  von  der  Kuhlen.  Wesel. 
1831.  12mo. 
181b.  Historical  and  Oratorical  Memorial  of  the  Restora- 
tion of  the  Netherlands.  Amsterdam.  8vo.  Pub- 
lished in  postal  form.  1828.  Amsterdam. 
1819.  Oratio  de  Imperatore  Ali,  Abu-Talebi  Filio,  Sarace- 

norum  Principum  Maximo.     Lugd.-Bat.     4to. 
1818,  1819,  1820,  1822,  1823,  1825,  1829,  1830.  Bible; 
all  the  Books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  to* 


APPENDIX.  1^9 

•   gether  with  the  Apochryphal  Books  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, in  8  parts.     Leyden.     4to.     (Exhausted.) 
1827-1830.     The  Bible.     Leyden.     8vo. 
1831-1835.  Annotations  on  the  Bible.     Leyden.     8vo. 
1838.  Apocryphal  Books  of  the  Old  Testament,  with  an- 
notations.    Leyden.     8vo. 

1823-1836.  Eleven  series  of  Sermons,  of  ten  each. 
Leyden.  8vo.  The  Sermons,  the  ten  series  of  Ser- 
mons of  six  each,  and  the  eleven  series  of  Sermons 
of  ten  each,  several  volumes  of  which  have  been 
repeatedly  reprinted,  are  in  course  of  republication 
with  the  title  of:  All  the  Sermons  of  J.  H.  van  der 
Palm.  Leeuwarden.  The  first  volume  has  already 
made  its  appearance.  They  have  been  arranged  by 
Van  der  Palm  himself  in  a  certain  order ;  and  in  this 
edition  is  also  found  the  sermon  contained  in  the  col- 
lection published  in  1831  by  the  University  Preachers 
of  the  whole  country,  as  also  two  unpublished  ser- 
mons preserved  and  designed  by  himself  for  this 
object,  making  in  all  two  hundred. 

1826.  Sermon  on  Genesis  xli.  51.  Delivered  on  the 
day  for  Thanksgiving  and  Prayer  of  that  year.  Ley- 
den.    8vo. 

1832.  Account  of  the  Dedication  of  the  Monument  to 
the  Memory  of  L.  J.  W.  Beeckman,  slain  as  Volun- 
teer of  the  Leyden  University.     Leyden.     8vo. 

1838.  Sequel  to  Solomon,  comprising  the  first  nine  chap- 
ters of  the  Book  of  Proverbs.     Leeuwarden.     8vo. 

1841.  Second  Sequel  to  Solomon,  comprising  the  last 
labor  of  the  Writer.  With  the  Index.  Leeuwarden. 
8vo.  Published  after  the  death  of  the  Author,  with 
a  preface  by  Nicolaas  Beets. 

The  whole  work  is  thus  complete  in  9  vols.,  with 
the  title :  Solomon,  by  J.  H.  van  der  Palm.  3d  Edi- 
tion.    Leeuwarden. 


170  APPENDIX. 

FUGITIVE   ARTICLES   FOR   PRIVATE   CIRCULATION. 

.  Filial   Duty.     Poem   on   occasion  of  the   Silver 

Wedding  of  his  parents. 

1781.  Welcome  to  G.  J.  Loncq.     Poem.     8vo. 

1782.  War.  Poem  to  which  the  premium  was  awarded 
by  the  society  Kunst  wordt  door  Arbeid  verkregen. 
In  the  Works  of  that  Society.  Vol.  v.  It  is  also 
printed  separately.     8vo. 

"  Poem,  placed  after  the  "  Specimen  Inaugurate, 
exhibens  Theses  Aliquot,"  etc.  By  Willem  Bilder- 
djik.  Leyden.  4to.  Also  separate  impressions,  with 
other  poems  on  that  occasion.     8vo. 

"  Funeral  Hymn  on  Rev.  J.  W.  Bussingh,  in  a  small 
collection  on  his  funeral.     Leyden.     8vo. 

1783.  The  Leyden  Orphans  to  the  Leyden  Militia. 
Poem.     Leyden.     8vo. 

"  Beneficence.  Poem  in  the  Works  of  the  society 
Kunst  wordt  door  Arbeid  verkregen.     Vol.  iv.    8vo. 

1784.  Transfiguration  of  Christ  on  the  Mount.  Poem  to 
which  was  awarded  the  premium  by  the  society 
Kunstliefde  spaart  geen  vlijt,  1783.  Printed  in  its 
Works  (vol.  x.),1  and  also  separately.     8vo. 

1786.  In  Memory  of  S.  Hoek.     Poem.     8vo. 

1787.  Ode  to  Virtue.  Works  of  the  society  Kunst 
wordt  door  Arbeid  verkregen.     Vol.  v.     8vo. 

1795,  1796.   Certain   numbers   of  "The    Friend  of  the 

People."     Weekly,  published  in  Middelburg.     8vo. 
1795.  Proclamation  of  the  Free  People  of  Middelburg  to 
their  Fellow- Citizens,  February  10th,  1795.     "  Mid- 
delburg Courant."     Fol. 
"       Address,  delivered  in  February,  1795,  as  President 

1  Remarkable  is  the  prediction  of  J.  van  Spaan,  when  presenting 
him  the  medal,  August  7th,  1784.  See  Works  of  the  society,  vol.  x. 
p.  119. 


APPENDIX.  171 

of  the  Electors,  to  the  Representatives  of  the  People 
in  Middelburg.  "Sequel  to  Wagenaar,"  xxix.  120- 
122.     "  Annals  of  the  Batavian  Republic,"  ii.  226. 

1803.  Incidents  in  the  Life  of  Dr.  J.  van  Heekeren. 
"  Medical  Magazine."     Vol.  ii.  art.  2.     8vo. 

1831.  Essay  on  Unity  and  Diversity.  "  Recensent  ook 
der  Recensenten."     Vol.  xxiv.  art.  2.     8vo. 

1831.  Sermon  on  Rom.  xi.  36.  "  Sermons  relative  to  the 
Latest  Circumstances  of  our  Country,  by  the  United 
University  Preachers  of  the  Netherlands."  Utrecht. 
8vo.  This  sermon  will  be  included  in  the  edition  of 
All  the  Sermons  of  J.  H.  van  der  Palm.  Leeu- 
warden.     See  above. 


PREFACES. 


1790.  To  the  Oration,  translated  by  him,  of  W.  Kist,  on 
the  Study  of  the  Ancient  Writers  as  a  Source  of  Sub- 
stantial Enjoyment.    Middelburg  and  Dordrecht.   8vo. 

1806.  To  the  Text-book  of  Obstetrics,  by  H.  A.  Bake. 
Leyden.     8vo. 

1815.  To  the  Twenty-five  Years'  Official  Service  of  T. 
Dassevael,  May  18th,  1815.     8vo. 

1820.  To  the  translation  of  Helon's  Pilgrimage,  by  F. 
Strauss.  Amsterdam.  8vo.  In  this  preface  Van 
der  Palm  makes  mention  of  a  design  entertained  by 
him  of  composing  a  similar  work.1 

1  "  A  distinguished  personage  of  the  suite  of  the  Queen  of  Sheba 
should  have  been  my  Anacharsis.  He  could  describe  the  political  and 
religious  condition  of  the  Israelites  under  the  magnificent  reign  of  Sol- 
omon; he  could  fully  inform  himself  of  all  that  was  memorable  in  their 
earlier  history,  survive  Solomon  himself,  be  a  witness  of  the  rending  of 
the  nation  into  two  kingdoms,  and  predict  not  a  little  of  what  must  sub- 
sequently occur;  whilst  finally  a  supplement  might  comprise  the  rest, 
to  the  time  that  they  were  carried  away  by  Nebuchadnezzar." 


172  APPENDIX. 

1821.  To  the  second  volume  of  Sermons  by  E.  A.  Bor- 
ger.     Gravenhage.     8vo. 

1827.  To  the  Prize  Essay  respecting  the  Life  and  Merits 
of  C.    Brunings,   by   F.   W.  Conrad.     Gravenhage. 
4to. 
"       Letter  to  M.  Siegenbeek,  inserted  in  his  Philologi- 
cal Observations.     Haarlem.     8vo. 

1829.  To  the  Manual  of  Biblical  History,  by  H.  van 
Heyningen,  Minister  in  Rijswijk,  with  plates.  Gra- 
venhage and  Rotterdam.     4to. 

1840.  Testimonial  to  the  Bible  Atlas  of  Rev.  G.  H.  van 
Senden.     Leyden.     4to. 


ARTICLES  RELATING  TO  VAN  DER  PALM. 

L840.  M.  Siegenbeek :  Tribute  to  the  Memory  of  Jo- 
hannes Henricus  van  der  Palm.     Leyden.     8vo. 

"  B.  ter  Haar :  Poetic  Lines  on  Occasion  of  the  Death 
of  Professor  J.  H.  van  der  Palm.     Leyden.     8vo. 

"       C.  van  Epen :  Flowers  on  the  Grave  of  J.  H.  van 
der  Palm.     Maastricht.     8vo. 
1841.  W.  A.  van  Hengel :  Meritorum  Jis-  Hci  van  der 
Palm  Commemoratio  Brevis.     Lugd.-Bat.     8vo. 

"  J°  Clarisse :  Prologus  quo  Scholas  Theologicas  A0- 
1840-1841  habendas  Auspicaturus  Johannis  Henrici 
van  der  Palm  Exemplum  Auditoribus,  Futuris  The- 
ologis,  ad  imitandum  proposuit.     Lugd.-Bat.     8vo. 

"  H.  F.  T.  Fockens :  J.  H.  van  der  Palm  Portrayed 
as  an  Expositor  of  the  Bible,  as  an  Orator,  and 
Writer.     Leyden.     8vo. 

See  further,  respecting  Van  der  Palm,  an  article  (of 
Mr.  G.  van  Lennep)  in  Galerie  des  Contemporains,  t. 
vii.  pp.  359,  360  ;  in  Le  Protestant,  (periodical  edited 


APPENDIX.  173 

by  A.  Coquerel,)  le  ann.  No.  15  ;  in  the  Quarterly 
Magazine  and  Review,  July,  1832,  (translation  of  the 
preceding);  in  Th.  Fliedner's  Collectenreise,  two  arts. 
454-468  and  517-521  ;  in  the  Literary  Messenger, 
1840,  No.  41,  and  1841,  No.  2,  (the  last  article  by 
Professor  J.  Kops)  ;  a  short  Address  of  Professor  J. 
Bake  to  the  Leyden  division  of  the  Society  of  Fine 
Arts  and  Sciences,  after  Van  der  Palm's  decease, 
(printed  for  private  circulation)  ;  the  Oratio  Recto- 
ralis  of  Professor  Thorbecke  de  S.  Slingelandtio, 
(1841,)  pp.  31-33  ;  Professor  Siegenbeek's  notice  in 
the  Acts  of  the  Society  of  Dutch  Literature,  1840,  pp. 
14-16;  History  of  the  Leyden  University,  by  the 
same,  vol.  ii.,  Supplement  and  Appendix,  pp.  238, 
239  ;  Van  Kampen's  History  of  Dutch  Literature,  3d 
article,  1835,  pp.  148-262  ;  and  his  History  of  Mod- 
ern Literature,  vol.  iv.  pp.  529,  530,  534,  and  536 ; 
Ypey  and  Dermout,  History  of  the  Dutch  Reformed 
Church,  vol.  iv.  pp.  307,  308,  and  the  note  ;  and 
others. 


SERMONS 


OP 


J.  H.  VAN  DER  PALM,  D.D., 

PROFESSOR  OF  ORIENTAL  LANGUAGES  AND  ANTIQUITIES;   ALSO  OF 

SACRED  POETRY  AND   ELOQUENCE  IN   THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF   LEYDEN. 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  DUTCH 


BY 


J.   P.   WESTERVELT. 


SERMONS. 


SERMON  I. 
THE   GOSPEL   THE   GREATEST  TREASURE. 

Again,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  treasure  hid  in  afield; 
the  which  when  a  man  hath  found,  he  hideth,  and  for  joy  thereof  goeth 
and  selleth  all  that  he  hath,  and  buyeth  that  field. 

Again,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  merchant-man  seeking 
goodly  pearls : 

"Who,  when  he  had  found  one  pearl  of  great  price,  went  and  sold  all 
that  he  had,  and  bought  it.  — Matt.  xiii.  44-46. 

Few  there  are  amono*  men  who  would  not  esteem 
themselves  happy,  if  they  but  knew  how  to  estimate 
properly  their  privileges.  Hardly  any  condition  in 
life  is  so  devoid  of  advantages,  of  advantages  appro- 
priate to  itself,  but  that  to  him  who  is  acquainted 
with  them,  and  makes  a  thankful  use  of  them,  there 
are  a  thousand  reasons  why  he  should  acquiesce  in 
his  lot,  be  contented  and  happy.  But  such  is  the 
perversity  of  man,  what  lies  before  us,  and  we  can 
obtain  by  simply  stretching  out  our  hand  after  it, 
that  we  esteem  hardly  worth  possessing ;  whilst  that 
which  is  placed  beyond  our  reach  often  seems  to  us 
the  only  thing  desirable,  the  only  thing  that  contains 
happiness  in  it.  What  we  have,  becomes  by  custom 
and  daily  use  indifferent  to  us  ;  what  we  have  not, 

our  imagination  attires  before  us  in  brilliant  hues; 
12 


178  SERMONS. 

and  we  always  think  our  privations  greater  than 
our  enjoyments.  To  oppose  this  perversity  in  us, 
and,  if  possible,  to  overcome  it,  is  life's  true  wisdom. 
Every  morning  and  evening  to  make  by  ourselves 
an  enumeration  of  the  favors  in  which  we  share, 
beginning  with  life  and  the  treasure  of  health,  run- 
ning through  the  circle  of  our  professional  or  do- 
mestic employments,  of  our  kindred  and  relations, 
and  thence  ascending  to  that  which  can  fully  meet 
the  wants  of  our  rational  souls,  susceptible  of  eternal 
felicity,  —  this  is  the  means  to  make  us  contented 
with  God's  allotments,  the  true  secret  of  feeling  our- 
selves happy  in  all  the  inconstancies  of  the  world. 

It  is  these  last,  the  spiritual  blessings  above  all, 
and  their  high  value,  with  which  I  would  this  hour 
occupy  your  attention.  We  can  all  possess  them, 
and  none  can  prevent  us,  if  we  are  desirous  of  be- 
coming partakers  of  them.  Whatever  earth  may 
give  or  deny  us,  heaven  is  equally  offered  to  us  all. 
We  possess  a  gospel  of  salvation,  —  we  all,  without 
distinction  of  rank,  or  abilities,  or  temporal  fortune. 
And  many  of  us  complain  still,  and  wish  for  more, 
and  dispute  about  their  lot.  Is  it  not  because  they 
know  not  the  treasure  that  is  dispensed  to  them  by 
the  liberal  hand  of  a  Father,  nor  the  exceeding 
power  and  riches  of  the  blessings  of  that  heavenly 
kingdom  which  Jesus  has  revealed  to  us  and  pro- 
cured for  us  at  the  expense  of  his  blood  ?  It  is  my 
design  in  this  discourse  to  unfold  to  you,  accord- 
ing to  my  ability,  that  rich  treasure,  for  the  exciting 
of  the  desire  of  us  all,  and  that  we  may  thankfully 
glorify  God  for   his  great  grace  to   us.     May  my 


SERMONS.  179 

words  be  profitable  to  you,  and  acceptable  to  him. 
Amen. 

All  the  parables  of  Jesus  contain  an  appropriate 
and  sublime  instruction  ;  and  they  are  moreover  pre- 
sented in  a  way  that  rivets  the  attention,  sharpens 
the  intellect,  and  raises  the  interest  to  the  highest 
point.  If  this  be  still  perceptible  and  sensible  to  us, 
my  hearers,  living  at  the  distance  of  so  many  cen- 
turies from  the  Divine  teacher,  reading  his  words  in 
another  language  than  that  in  which  they  were 
uttered,  and  not  familiarly  acquainted  with  many 
particulars  relative  to  the  manners  and  national 
character  of  his  hearers,  whence  he  usually  bor- 
rowed his  images  and  modes  of  expression,  —  if  this, 
I  say,  is  still  so  perceptible  and  sensible  to  us,  how 
must  it  then  have  been  to  his  contemporaries  and 
countrymen,  who,  in  addition  to  this,  had  also  the 
expression  of  the  voice,  countenance,  and  gestures 
of  Him  into  whose  lips  grace  was  poured  ! 

It  is  however  indubitable,  and  the  more  we  con- 
fine our  attention  to  it  the  more  are  we  confirmed 
in  it ;  all  the  presentations  of  Jesus  have  an  Ori- 
ental hue  and  glow,  and  in  the  measure  in  which 
we  are  able  to  enter  into  the  entire  mode  of  thought 
of  his  pupils,  in  that  measure  has  his  instruction  a 
more  pleasing  aspect,  and  makes  a  more  powerful 
impression  on  our  hearts.  It  is  adapted  to  all  times 
and  countries  and  necessities  ;  but  so  that  they  con- 
stantly pluck  from  it  the  richest  and  most  agreeable 
fruits  who  read  and  hear  it  as  if  they  were  sitting 
at  the  feet  of  the  great  Master  on  the  mountains  of 
Galilee  and  Samaria,  on  the  strand  at  Capernaum, 
or  at  Bethany  and  in  the  temple  at  Jerusalem 


180  SERMONS. 

The  two  parables  presented  will  also  serve  as  evi- 
dence of  this,  whilst  they  will  give  us  occasion  to 
reflect  reverently  and  devoutly  on  the  inestimable 
value  of  Jesus'  doctrine  and  kingdom. 

I.  I  will,  first,  endeavor  to  explain  both  these 
parables,  according  to  the  meaning  and  intention  of 
Jesus ; 

II.  Secondly,  present  to  you  the  instruction  con- 
tained in  them,  in  its  truth  and  importance  ;  and 
so  conclude  my  discourse  with  a  few  admonitions 
and  exhortations. 

I.  Both  the  parables  have  evidently  the  same  de- 
sign, and  should  therefore  be  also  treated  by  us 
simultaneously  ;  also  the  two  images  which  the 
Saviour  employs  as  an  allegorizing  of  his  doctrine 
—  that  of  the  treasure  in  the  field,  and  that  of  the 
costly  pearl  —  have  great  affinity  to  each  other. 
That  the  Saviour  here  uses  two  parables  instead  of 
one,  only  indicates  to  us  the  riches  of  his  imagina- 
tion, and  the  importance  that  he  attaches  to  his  pres- 
ent instruction,  so  that  he,  by  repetition  and  diver- 
sity of  sensible  representations,  would  imprint  it  on 
the  heart  and  memory  of  his  hearers.  Is  one,  how- 
ever, disposed  to  make  a  distinction  between  the  two 
parables,  it  can  with  some  be  placed  in  this,  that 
the  treasure  in  the  field  was  found  accidentally,  the 
pearl  only  after  zealous  and  intentional  seeking ;  but 
we  should  fear  even  thus  to  manifest  more  subtilty 
than  natural  simplicity  of  criticism.  It  also  makes 
not  the  least  difference,  that  in  the  first  parable  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  compared  to  the  treasure 
found,  in  the  second  to  the  merchant,  the  finder  of 


SERMONS.  181 

the  pearl.  Jesus  could  just  as  well,  by  reversing 
the  order,  have  said :  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like 
unto  a  man  who  found  in  a  field  a  hidden  treasure ; 
it  is  like  a  pearl  of  great  value,  which  a  merchant 
found.  In  a  free  style  and  method  of  teaching,  the 
one  signified  just  the  same  as  the  other ;  the  two 
representations  might  be  at  will  exchanged  for  each 
other ;  it  would  ever  be  the  hidden  treasure,  the 
costly  pearl,  on  which  all  would  depend. 

In  the  explanation  of  every  parable,  we  must  first 
attend  to  that  which  constitutes  its  subject,  and 
afterwards  to  the  instruction  conveyed  to  us  by  the 
comparison.  The  subject  of  both  the  parables  is 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  —  an  expression  very  common 
in  the  mouth  of  Jesus,  by  which  he  designated  either 
the  doctrine,  or  the  blessings,  or  the  future  fortunes 
of  his  spiritual  kingdom,  or  the  duties  and  qualities 
of  its  citizens  and  subjects.  All  these  ideas  are 
allied  to  each  other ;  they  belong  to  one  great 
whole  ;  and  a  sound  exegesis  often  requires  us  not 
to  confine  ourselves  exclusively  to  one  of  them,  but 
to  take  several  together,  and  to  give  to  the  phrase 
now  an  ampler,  then  a  more  restricted  signification. 
The  idea  of  Jesus'  doctrine  is  hardly  to  be  sepa- 
rated from  that  of  the  salutary  fruits  of  that  doctrine ; 
and  it  is,  conversely,  the  blessings  of  Jesus'  kingdom 
which  include  in  them  as  conditions  the  knowledge 
and  practice  of  its  laws  and  requirements.  In  what 
sense  Jesus  would  have  the  words  kingdom  of  heaven 
understood,  must,  in  every  place  where  he  employs 
them,  be  determined  by  an  unbiased  judgment  from 
the  connection  in  which  they  occur.    And  when  we 


182  SERMONS. 

then  look  for  that  which  is  most  appropriate  to  the 
contents  of  both  these  parables,  and  most  agreeable 
to  the  nature  of  the  emblems  here  employed,  then 
are  we  at  last  restricted  to  evangelical  truth,  with 
its  promises  and  prospects  ;  to  the  doctrine  of  Jesus, 
with  its  salutary  consequences  to  every  one  that  be- 
lieves and  confesses  it. 

The  Jews  expected  a  kingdom  of  God  on  earth 
as  the  fulfilment  of  the  great  promises  made  to  their 
fathers.  Jesus  teaches  them  everywhere  that  this 
kingdom  of  God  must  come  principally  in  their 
hearts.  He  declares  himself  to  be  sent  of  God  to 
reveal  it  to  them  ;  and  begins  and  ends  with  calling 
them  to  repentance,  with  making  God  known  to 
them  in  his  being  and  perfections,  and  with  an- 
nouncing to  them  forgiveness  of  sins  and  eternal 
blessedness.  He  who  accepted  this  his  preaching, 
and  humbly  acquiesced  in  it,  possessed  the  kingdom 
of  heaven;  to  him  belonged  all  the  lessons  pre- 
scribed by  him  to  the  citizens  of  that  kingdom  ;  he 
was  partaker  of  all  the  privileges  with  which  God 
graciously  intended  to  favor  in  the  Messiah  the  pos- 
terity of  the  patriarchs  ;  subject  of  a  dominion 
which  from  its  nature  must  endure  forever,  and  ex- 
tend over  the  whole  earth.  This  is  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  according  to  the  general  representation  of 
the  Saviour  in  the  Scriptures  of  his  ambassadors  ; 
and  when  we  see  this  kingdom  of  heaven  compared 
to  a  treasure,  to  a  precious  stone,  does  not  a  just 
and  impartial  appreciation  of  truth  confirm  us  in 
what  we  have  already  said,  that  we  must  under- 
stand by  it  evangelical  truth,  with  its  promises  and 


SERMONS.  183 

prospects,  the  doctrine  of  Jesus,  with  its  salutary 
consequences  to  every  one  that  believes  and  con- 
fesses it  ?  Whether  the  Jews  immediately  under- 
stood it  thus,  I  dare  not  decide ;  but  it  was  the  design 
of  Jesus,  with  these  and  other  parables,  to  make 
them  so  understand  it. 

This  kingdom  of  heaven,  says  Jesus,  is  like  a  treas- 
ure hid  in  a  field,  which,  when  a  man  has  found,  he 
hideth,  etc.  Many  expositors  have  remarked,  that 
in  a  country  which  has  frequently  been  a  prey  to 
the  desolations  of  war,  and  from  which  the  wealthy 
inhabitants,  through  fear  of  the  sword  and  servitude, 
have  been  obliged  to  flee,  without  having  opportu- 
nity to  take  their  treasures  and  precious  things  with 
them,  —  that  in  such  a  land  as  Palestine  was,  it  might 
happen  that  here  or  there  treasures  lay  buried  in 
the  ground,  which  were  no  longer  any  one's  prop- 
erty, because  the  former  possessors  had  perished  in 
their  flight  or  in  their  exile,  —  because  they  had  left 
no  evidence  behind,  what  or  where  their  property 
was,  and  no  claimant  or  heir  could  be  discovered. 
By  this  observation  is  the  honor  of  the  parable  on 
the  side  of  probability  maintained.  The  same  ex- 
positors also  direct  our  attention  to  the  different 
claims,  which,  according  to  diverse  legislations,  had 
place  in  respect  of  such  goods  or  treasures  when 
found.  According  to  some,  they  were  for  the  finder; 
according  to  others,  for  the  owner  of  the  ground  in 
which  they  were  found  ;  according  to  others,  again, 
for  each  the  exact  half;  according  to  others,  finally, 
for  neither  of  the  two,  but  for  the  State.  From  the 
relation  in  this  parable,  they  conclude,  that,  accord- 


184  SERMONS. 

ing  to  Jewish  usage,  the  property  belonged  to 
the  finder,  since  the  purchase  of  the  field  by  him 
must  be  regarded  simply  as  an  act  of  prudence,  not 
as  a  transaction  by  which  he  would  secretly  and  in 
bad  faith  make  himself  master  of  what  he  knew  to 
be  another's  possession.  We  commend  all  these 
observations,  and  will  not  contradict  them.  But 
they  do  not  once  occur  to  us  when  we  are  accus- 
tomed to  read  Oriental  tales,  and  as  the  Jews, 
contemporaries  of  Jesus,  have  filled  our  minds  with 
the  ideas  contained  in  them.  How  often  do  we  find 
mention  made  in  them  of  hidden  treasures,  and  of 
the  finding  of  the  same ;  even  in  the  Proverbs  of 
Solomon  allusion  is  already  here  and  there  made  to 
it.  Would  they  represent  any  one  above  measure 
favored  by  Providence,  or  by  such  beings  as  had 
power  to  dispense  the  riches  of  earth,  they  made 
him  find  a  treasure,  and  portrayed  him  as  thereby 
the  happiest  of  mortals.  Who  knows  how  many 
there  were  among  the  hearers  of  Jesus,  composed  in 
great  part  of  plain  people,  who  had  often  thought 
with  themselves,  or  even  indeed,  on  the  hearing  of 
such  tales,  said  to  one  another :  Oh  that  we  also 
might  here  or  there  find  such  a  treasure  !  then 
should  we  no  longer  be  obliged  to  care,  nor  to  toil  ! 
then  would  our  happiness  be  certain,  complete  ! 
To  such  men  Jesus  spake  this  parable,  and  can  it  be 
doubtful  to  you  how  it  was  understood  by  them  ? 
Come,  let  us  transform  it  into  a  small  narrative, 
such  as  there  are  many  in  circulation  among  the 
Orientals,  and  you  will  in  some  measure  feel  the 
propriety  of  its  representation. 


SERMONS.  185 

A  certain  man  went,  on  a  time,  to  take  a  solitary 
walk  over  a  distant,  ill- cultivated  field.  Acciden- 
tally he  fixed  his  eye  on  a  waste  spot  that  lay  wholly 
neglected,  where  some  stones,  overgrown  with 
moss,  lay  half  scattered,  half  heaped  up.  Thought- 
lessly, or  from  curiosity,  he  removes  those  stones 
from  one  another,  and  finds  that  those  lying  deeper 
are  placed  together  with  more  order  and  design. 
He  now  sets  himself  to  remove  them  out  of  the 
way,  descends  deeper  and  deeper,  and  finally  per- 
ceives a  large  stone,  which  evidently  covers  an 
opening.  He  raises  it,  and  sees  the  entrance  to  a 
spacious  cellar,  descends  by  a  staircase  into  it,  and 
finds  himself  suddenly  surrounded  with  vases  and 
pots  and  purses  full  of  gold  coins,  —  an  immense 
treasure,  to  be  envied  even  by  princes.  What  a 
discovery !  What  a  joy  !  He  is  lost  in  rapture  ;  no 
one's  happiness  is  to  be  compared  with  his  !  But  in 
the  excess  of  his  joy  he  does  not,  however,  forget  to 
secure  that  wealth.  He  hid  it,  says  the  parable  ;  he 
closed  again  the  depository,  and  restored  everything 
to  the  state  in  which  it  had  been,  that  no  one  could 
perceive  that  any  search  had  here  been  made.  To 
his  secure  possession  of  the  treasure  it  was  above  all 
necessary  that  he  should  be  owner  of  the  field. 
Then  he  need  not  continually  go  thither,  and  each 
time  return  laden  ;  which,  however  secretly  he 
managed  it,  might  create  surprise  ;  and  should  the 
proprietor  of  the  field  once  discover  the  secret,  then 
would  he  indeed  prevent  his  return.  He  resolves, 
therefore,  to  purchase  that  field,  cost  it  ever  so  much, 
for  there  lies  infinitely  more  in  it  than  he  shall  give 


186  SERMONS. 

for  it.  Whatever  he  has  of  value  or  costliness  he 
converts  into  money,  and  so  offers  for  the  field  a 
price  which  is  accepted.  Now  he  is  undisturbed 
possessor  of  the  royal  treasure,  and  there  is  no  end  to 
his  joy,  for  there  is  no  end  to  his  fruition  ! 

Such  a  treasure,  says  Jesus,  is  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  ;  so  unspeakably,  immeasurably  happy  is  he 
who  finds  it ! 

The  second  parable,  also,  is  wholly  Oriental.  The 
traffic  in  jewels  is  there  principally  carried  on  by 
travelling  merchants,  who  seek  them  everywhere, 
especially  in  the  bazaars  of  large  cities  ;  buying 
them  here,  in  order  to  exchange  them  elsewhere, 
and  principally  to  sell  them  again  with  great  gain  at 
the  courts  of  princes.  This  last  is  often  too  much 
lost  sight  of  in  the  explication  of  this  parable  ;  as 
if  the  design  of  the  buyer  of  the  costly  pearl,  or 
rather,  in  general,  of  the  invaluable  precious  stone, 
had  been  to  keep  it  in  his  possession  and  preserve  it 
for  himself.  But  does  not  Jesus  himself  call  him  a 
merchant  ?  and  were  not  pearls,  jewels,  on  that  ac- 
count, the  objects  of  his  desire,  because  they  were 
the  commodities  in  which  he  trafficked  ?  Let  us 
imagine  such  a  trader,  prosecuting  his  business  with 
knowledge  and  skill ;  and  looking  for  the  opportu- 
nity, by  a  great  and  advantageous  purchase,  to 
make  his  fortune  in  trade.  A  pearl,  a  jewel,  is 
offered  him,  whose  like  in  size,  in  weight,  in  purity, 
and  lustre  he  never  beheld.  Could  he  become  pos- 
sessor of  it,  his  fortune  would  be  made,  for  emper- 
ors and  kings  would  dispute  with  each  other  the 
happiness  of  enriching  with  it  their  cabinets.     If 


SERMONS.  187 

there  is  a  possibility  of  his  purchasing  that  magnifi- 
cent diamond and  behold  there  is  a  possi- 
bility !  The  price  that  is  demanded  for  it  does  not 
exceed  his  ability.  He  sells  his  remaining  jewels 
and  whatever  other  valuables  he  possesses,  and  the 
magnificent  stone  becomes  his.  What  prerogative, 
what  rare  chance,  to  have  found  it !  to  have  been 
just  there  where  it  was,  where  it  was  offered 
him,  where  he  could  become  possessed  of  that  inval- 
uable jewel,  for  which  perhaps  one  might  in  vain 
have  travelled  half  round  the  world  !  His  roamings 
and  cares  are  now  at  an  end  ;  the  treasures  of  princes 
are  open  to  him  ;  what  he  demands  will  be  gladly 
paid  him  for  such  a  royal  luxury  ;  his  wealth  is 
immense  ! 

Such  a  jewel,  says  Jesus,  is  the  kingdom  of 
heaven ;  so  happy  is  he  who  has  found  it ! 

The  literal  meaning  of  the  parables  has,  I  trust, 
been  sufficiently  explained.  Perhaps  it  surprises 
some  of  you  that  I  have  not  dwelt  more  on  the 
sellino;  of  all  for  the  attainment  of  the  offered  treas- 
ures,  as  intimating  the  difficult  sacrifices  to  which 
we  must  submit  for  the  possession  of  the  heavenly 
kingdom.  But  indeed  this  portion  of  the  parable 
seems  to  belong  more  to  its  ornament  than  its  be- 
ing ;  though  elsewhere  Jesus  demanded  no  insignifi- 
cant self-denials  of  them  who  would  become  par- 
takers of  his  kingdom.  For  no  proper  sacrifices  are 
here  spoken  of ;  or  can  it  bear  that  name,  when  we 
expend  money  to  gain  money  ?  when  a  merchant, 
to  secure  a  great  advantage,  sells  or  mortgages  his 
property  ?     These  particulars  serve  only  to  indicate 


188  SERMONS. 

the  great  desirableness  and  the  unlimited  value  of 
the  treasures  with  which  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
here  compared. 

Thus  the  instruction  of  Jesus,  conveyed  by  these 
parables,  beams  forth  of  itself  to  our  view  :  it  con- 
cerns the  inestimable,  incalculable  value  of  the  doc- 
trine which  he  had  brought  with  him  from  heaven, 
in  order  to  make  all  who  believed  and  practised  it 
capable  of  endless  felicity  and  partakers  of  it. 

II.  To  present  to  you  this  instruction  in  its  truth 
and  importance  must  be  the  argument  of  the  second 
part  of  my  discourse. 

I  shall  to  that  end  cause  you  to  contemplate  the 
gospel,  partnership  in  the  kingdom  of  God  founded 
by  Jesus,  first  in  its  proper,  intrinsic  value,  and 
afterwards  in  its  relative  value,  by  comparing  it 
with  the  treasures  and  precious  things  of  earth.  I 
shall  thus,  as  you  see,  conduct  you  along  very  com- 
mon and  much  -  trodden  paths  ;  repeat  what  you 
have  heard  hundreds  and  thousands  of  times,  but 
never  will  hear  or  can  hear  sufficiently.  For  if  you 
hear  gladly  what  is  said  to  you  of  the  infinite  value 
of  the  gospel,  then  is  it  to  you  an  inexhaustible 
fountain  of  joy  and  comfort,  which  you  desire  to 
see  continually  opened  to  you  anew  ;  and  if  you  do 
not,  even  after  these  hundred  and  thousandfold  pres- 
entations, yet  feel  the  happiness  of  the  friends  and 
disciples  of  Jesus,  then  it  may  and  must  still  be 
hundreds  and  thousands  of  times  earnestly  com- 
mended to  you,  that  you  may  finally  see  and  ac- 
knowledge to  how  great  grace  you  are  called  by 
God  in  Jesus  Christ. 


SERMONS.  189 

The  intrinsic  value  of  the  doctrine  of  salvation 
manifests  itself  in  the  knowledge  which  it  commu- 
nicates, in  the  performances  that  it  prescribes,  and 
in  the  prospects  which  it  opens  to  us.  Permit  me 
to  entertain  you  simply  with  a  word  respecting 
each. 

No  man  hath  seen  God  at  any  time  ;  the  only  he- 
gotten  Son,  which  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  he  hath 
declared  him.  This  is  the  summary  of  the  gospel 
in  respect  of  the  knowledge  that  it  imparts  to  us. 
Yes,  my  beloved,  hereby  we  know  who  God  is, 
what  God  is  for  us.  The  shrewdest  heads  of  the 
heathen  world,  to  whose  extensive  knowledge,  to 
whose  subtile  intellect,  to  whose  exquisite  taste,  we 
admiringly  do  homage  as  often  as  we  read  their 
writings,  knew  not  so  much  of  that  infinite  Being  as 
the  simple  instruction  of  Jesus  makes  known  to  us 
all.  We  hear  them  whispering  to  their  intimate 
friends,  in  profound  confidence,  as  the  acme  of  hu- 
man knowledge,  as  a  sublime  mystery,  what  we, 
according  to  the  revelation  of  Jesus,  inculcate  on 
our  children  :  that  God  is  one,  Almighty,  Wise, 
Merciful,  Supreme  Lord  and  Governor  of  all. 
Whatever  errors  might  also  adhere  to  the  Jews  of 
his  time  respecting  God's  being  and  will,  respecting 
preference  of  nations,  of  times  or  places  of  worship, 
he  has  dispelled  them  all.  Where  do  you  find  the 
holiness  of  the  Supreme  Being,  without  which  it  is 
impossible  for  us  to  conceive  of  a  God  that  is  truly 
God, —  Where  do  you  find  it  portrayed  in  such  purity, 
and  in  a  way  to  inspire  such  respect,  as  in  the  teach- 
ings of  Jesus  ?  and  where  the  possibility  revealed  of 


190  SERMONS. 

approaching  that  immaculate  and  terrible  One  with 
confidence  ?  That  God  governs  all,  has  events, 
accidents,  vicissitudes,  in  his  hand,  —  it  is  much  to 
acknowledge  and  confess  this  :  but  that  He  whom 
the  heaven  of  heavens  cannot  contain,  also  takes 
notice  of  the  most  insignificant  concerns  of  his 
creatures,  works  everywhere,  and  cares  and  watches, 
feeds,  the  fowls  of  heaven,  attires  the  flowers  of  the 
field,  and  numbers  the  hairs  of  our  head, —  how  could 
we  ever  have  brought  our  hearts  to  believe  this,  if 
Jesus  had  not  said  it  and  assured  us  of  it  ?  That 
God  is  rich  in  love,  gladly  and  liberally  bestows 
favors,  and  that  the  earth  is  full  of  his  goodness,  — 
who  would  dare  question  this,  in  view  of  his  daily 
experience  of  God's  manifold  blessings  ?  That  God 
will  not  deal  with  us  according  to  our  sins,  that 
God  will  not  exact  of  us,  impure  and  ungrateful,  all 
the  demands  of  his  strict  justice,  —  if  we  cherished  no 
hope  of  this,  how  unhappy  should  we  feel  ourselves, 
unless  our  heart  were  closed  to  all  reflection  !  But 
that  God  is  a  Father,  —  no  Father  in  name  and  sem- 
blance, but  with  all  that  cordiality  and  tenderness 
and  extent  of  the  relation  with  which  we  also  em- 
brace our  dear  children  ;  yes,  more  cordial,  tender, 
affectionate  than  earthly  fathers  or  mothers  can  be  ! 
- —  that  the  holy  Judge  of  all  the  earth  can  and  will 
forgive  all,  even  the  offences  that  we  have  com- 
mitted to  the  dishonor  of  his  majesty,  and  in  con- 
tempt of  his  love,  and  yet  remains  the  holy  and 
just,  though  He  grants  to  sinners  his  highest  favor 
and  delight,  —  that  we  could  not  know,  had  not  Je- 
sus revealed  it !     It  were  impossible  to  believe  that, 


SERMONS.  191 

had  not  lie  who  revealed  it  come  from  heaven  ;  had 
he  not  seen  the  Father,  were  he  not  the  only  be- 
gotten Son,  the  image  of  the  Father.  This,  my 
hearers,  is  the  treasure  of  knowledge  that  the  gos- 
pel contains, —  knowledge  of  God,  beholding  of  God  | 
The  requirements  of  the  gospel  also  insure  to  us 
its  infinite  value.  All  that  is  pure,  all  that  is  lovely, 
all  that  is  useful,  all  that  is  honest  and  of  good 
report,  all  that,  and  that  alone,  is  prescribed  by  it. 
No  prejudice,  no  arrogance,  no  narrow-mindedness, 
no  misanthropy  or  national  hatred,  the  traces  of 
which,  even  in  the  purest  systems  of  Jewish  and 
heathen  morality,  were  so  abundantly  at  hand,  — 
none  of  all  these  defile  the  sublime  code  of  Christian- 
ity. He  who  will  walk  holily  and  unblamably,  who 
is  concerned  to  always  maintain  a  conscience  void  of 
offence  towards  God  and  man,  he  who  will  be 
happy  in  the  practice  of  virtue,  finds  here  the  path 
for  his  feet  delineated  with  infallible  marks.  No 
calumny  nor  malevolence  has  ever  been  able  to  im- 
pute a  blemish  to  this  model  of  the  highest  perfec- 
tion ;  it  is  the  law  of  God  and  nature  itself;  it  is 
the  perfect  law  of  the  Lord  !  And  these  precepts, 
my  beloved,  have  not  the  tone  of  cold,  proud  phi- 
losophy, obscure,  abstract,  always  magisterial ;  no  ! 
they  come  from  the  heart,  and  they  speak  to  the 
heart ;  they  all,  all  resolve  themselves  in  a  word  of 
heavenly  sound  and  heavenly  signification,  —  in  the 
one  word  love  !  Love  to  God  and  love  to  men,  this 
is  the  fulfilling  of  the  whole  law  ;  this  is  the  uni- 
versal fundamental  principle  of  morality,  so  anx- 
iously  sought   by  the   wise   of  all  ages,   so  easily 


192  SERMONS. 

found  by  him  who  was  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father, 
for  God  is  love  !  Or  do  you  perhaps  imagine  that 
the  requirements  and  instructions  of  the  gospel 
are  only  adapted  to  work  in  a  small  sphere,  com- 
mendable perhaps  for  families,  but  contracted,  and 
powerless  to  enlighten  and  to  direct  the  interests 
and  passions  of  States  and  societies ;  you  are  mis- 
taken !  The  happiness  of  the  world  depends  on  the 
performance  of  them,  and  the  neglect  of  them  casts 
nations  as  well  as  houses  and  families  into  abase- 
ment and  misery  !  What  examples  of  it  have  we 
seen  in  our  days  ;  and  how  illustrious  is  the  testi- 
mony publicly  given  in  honor  of  the  gospel  by  the 
most  powerful  monarchs  of  Europe  :  that  they 
know  no  more  effectual  means  to  insure  the  happi- 
ness of  their  people,  to  insure  the  quiet  of  the 
world  and  permanent  peace  to  it,  than  to  erect  a 
common  Christian  alliance,  and  to  promise  and  ad- 
jure each  other  to  accept  the  fundamental  princi- 
ples of  the  gospel  as  the  rule  of  their  actions ! * 

Need  I  finally  speak  of  the  prospects  of  the  gos- 
pel, in  order  to  make  you  acknowledge  the  inestima- 
bleness  of  the  treasure  contained  in  it  ? 

However  charming  may  be  the  prospect  which 
prosperity  and  abundance  and  fulfilment  of  our 
earthly  wishes  offer  us  over  the  course  of  our  pres- 
ent life,  it  always  terminates,  however,  on  a  dark 
and  dismal  background,  from  which  we  turn  our 
eyes  away  with  shuddering,  and  yet  towards  which 
we  can  never  cease  to  continually  turn  them  anew. 
Could  we  take  a  view  beyond  the  gloomy  back- 

1  This  sermon  was  delivered  in  the  year  1816. 


SERMONS.  193 

ground  of  death,  saw  we  on  the  other  side  of  the 
grave  new  life,  a  new  fatherland,  new  relations, 
new  enjoyments,  then  first  could  we  perform  this 
our  short  journey  of  life  without  solicitude  and 
with  gladness  ;  without  constantly  looking  back  at 
the  enemy  that  everywhere  closely  pursues  us  to 
strike  us  down  unexpectedly,  and  who,  as  long  as 
he  still  spares  us,  snatches  away  now  this,  then  that 
one  of  our  dear  companions  and  fellow-travellers. 
Where  do  you  find  that  treasure  of  tranquillity,  of 
consolation,  of  joy,  as  in  the  gospel  ?  The  gospel  is 
immortality, — is  more  than  immortality,  is  hope  of 
salvation  !  What  the  philosopher  conjectures,  and 
with  exertion  of  the  noblest  powers  of  mind,  along 
an  obscure  way  of  profound  reasoning,  hardly  car- 
ries to  the  point  of  probability,  whilst  another, 
styling  himself  a  still  greater  philosopher,  over- 
throws all  his  fundamental  principles,  —  what  the 
virtuous  of  all  ao;es  only  dared  wish,  —  for  which 
the  necessity  of  virtuous  souls  constantly  longed,  — 
that  the  gospel  places,  and  the  gospel  alone,  in  the 
clearness  of  meridian  day.  Certainly,  to  be  able  to 
believe,  without  doubt,  that  the  inhabitant  of  this 
cold,  lifeless  clod  still  lives,  hovering  around  in  a 
new  sphere,  though  by  none  ever  seen ;  or  that  this 
dust,  that  moulders  and  blows  away,  is  the  seed  of 
a  new  and  celestial  planting;  or,  what  seems  to 
transcend  all  belief,  that  a  life,  defiled  and  dishon- 
ored by  us,  thousands  and  thousands  of  times  for- 
feited, shall  not  be  taken  from  us,  but  the  punish- 
ment of  death  be  revoked  and  abolished  ;  —  for  this 
no  mere  inferences,  no  imposing  speculations  of  the 

13 


194  SERMONS. 

intellect  were  sufficient.  An  ambassador  from 
heaven  must  on  the  part  of  God  make  it  known  to 
us  ;  He  who  was  himself  the  resurrection  and  the 
life  must  assure  us  of  it ;  he  must  by  his  death 
overcome  death,  and,  coming  forth  from  the  grave, 
publicly  triumph  over  that  bitterest  of  our  foes  ! 

These,  my  beloved,  are  the  treasures  contained  in 
the  knowledge,  in  the  requirements  and  promises 
of  the  gospel,  unfolded  to  you  in  few  particulars  ; 
for  he  who  would  speak  of  them  as  they  merit, 
would  find  no  end  to  his  discourse.  Certainly  no 
treasures  of  gold  or  silver,  of  pearls  or  precious 
stones.  But  should  these  last  be  the  only  treasures 
laid  up  for  us  ?  Should  we  only  be  able  to  be  rich 
as  to  the  body,  to  clothe  us,  to  feed,  to  adorn,  to 
satisfy  with  sensual  enjoyment  ?  and  should  that 
better  part  of  us,  without  which  we  are  no  more 
than  the  beasts  of  the  field,  be  unable  to  have  pos- 
sessions, in  order  to  adorn,  to  ennoble,  or  to  refresh 
it  with  pure  pleasures  ?  Yes  !  there  are  spiritual  as 
well  as  corporeal  treasures  ;  and  the  kingdoms  of 
the  earth  contain  none  greater  or  better  than  those 
which  the  kingdom  of  heaven  reserves  for  us.  Let 
us  place  them  for  a  moment  beside  each  other,  that 
the  instruction  of  our  Lord  in  these  parables  may 
still  more  appear  to  us  to  be  truth  and  wisdom. 

The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  a  treasure  found  ; 
it  is  like  a  precious  stone,  whose  value  cannot  be 
reckoned.  What  does  this  signify,  is  like?  Cer- 
tainly, that  both  are  at  least  of  equal  value ;  that 
the  possession  of  the  one  need  not  yield  to  that  of 
the  other.     And  how  do  vou  regard  these  utter- 


SERMONS.  195 

ances,  my  hearers  ?  Is  it  not  so :  as  imagery,  as 
poetic  or  rhetoric  flowers,  as  fine  sayings,  perhaps  as 
Oriental  hyperbole  ? 

Yes !  evangelical  truth,  with  its  promises  and  ex- 
pectations, is  a  great  benefit ;  we  should  not  willingly 
miss  it.  But  yet  to  have  abundance  of  money  and 
property,  with  all  the  distinction  attached  to  the 
condition  of  the  rich,  who  do  or  omit  what  they 
please,  need  stand  in  awe  of  none,  and  whose  wishes 
are  anticipated  by  all ;  this  is  surely  more  desirable, 
more  attractive.  The  former  is  common  to  so  many, 
to  almost  all ;  but  the  latter  is  a  peculiar  privilege, 
enjoyed  by  only  a  few  highly  favored  ones.  The 
man  who  explains  to  me  the  mysteries  of  God's 
kingdom,  and  offers  its  blessings,  is  welcome  to  me  ; 
but  he  who  should  say :  Go  with  me ;  in  yonder 
field  lies  a  treasure  concealed  ;  we  will  descend  into 
the  hidden  depository  and  carry  away  with  us 
whole  loads  of  gold  and  silver  !  —  he  who  should 
speak  thus,  and  do  what  he  said,  would  surely  bring 
me  more  joyful  tidings,  should  find  me  readier 
to  do  for  it  what  he  required,  and  to  perform  the 
conditions  which  he  imposed,  though  they  should  be 
above  measure  hard  and  heavy.  Let  us  then  rather 
make  no  comparisons ;  let  us  not  detract  from  the 
value  of  the  heavenly  blessings ;  but  as  long  as  we 
are  on  earth,  the  earthly  will  profit  us  more.  Such 
is  the  language  of  the  world  ;  not  that  of  the  worst 
and  vilest  of  the  world,  but  of  those  who,  even 
above  others,  call  themselves  rational,  call  them- 
selves men  who  understand  their  interest.  Let  us 
then  see,  from  near  by,  wherein  consists  that  great 


196  SERMONS. 

value  of  earthly  treasures,  and  whether  they  deserve 
to  be  so  highly 'extolled. 

First,  we  can  possess  them,  without  having  any 
enjoyment  from  them  ;  for  we  lack  appetite  or 
health,  or  a  hidden  grief  gnaws  at  our  heart,  or 
we  can  obtain  everything  besides  the  very  one  that 
is  the  object  of  our  most  fervent  desire,  and,  in  the 
midst  of  luxury  and  plenty,  we  see  and  feel  our- 
selves poor  !  Secondly,  they  who  possess  them 
have  generally  the  least  enjoyment  from  them. 
Follow  in  your  thoughts  the  number  of  the  rich, 
and  judge  if  your  experience  does  not  confirm  this. 
Here,  the  heart  is  closed  by  covetousness,  and  the 
man  misses  as  well  what  he  has  as  what  he  has  not. 
There,  the  desire  is  the  more  inflamed  by  the  posses- 
sion, and  the  man  spares  through  fear  of  not  yet 
having  enough.  Yonder  men  loathe  their  enjoy- 
ments, that  can  be  too  easily  obtained,  and  find  no 
relish  in  all  the  things  on  account  of  which  alone 
others  would  desire  to  be  rich.  Or  has  a  man, 
thirdly,  the  rare  fortune  to  be  with  the  possession 
also  susceptible  of  the  enjoyment,  oh,  on  what  a 
perilous,  slippery  path  is  he  then  placed,  to  surren- 
der himself  to  intemperance  and  licentiousness  ;  to 
live  only  for  pleasure  and  sensuality,  and  to  make 
of  his  belly  a  God ;  to  see  all  good  impressions 
choked  amid  the  weeds  of  fleshly  lust !  Finally, 
earthly  treasures  profit  us  least  when  we  most  need 
profit  from  them.  "When  we  lie  stretched  on  a 
painful  sick-bed,  when  domestic  affliction  pierces 
our  heart,  when  our  dearest  pledges  are  torn  from 
us,  when  death  looks  in  at  our  windows,  —  what  are 


SERMONS.  197 

then  gold  and  precious  stones  in  our  eyes,  since  we 
envy  the  lot  of  the  poor  day  -  laborer,  who,  with 
sound  limbs,  enjoys  the  precious  light  of  life,  and  has 
no  care  save  for  his  daily  bread  ?  In  one  word, 
could  we  go  round  to  every  dwelling,  and  spy  the 
inside  of  the  families,  to  see  where  the  greatest 
serenity,  contentment,  the  greatest  and  best  enjoy- 
ment of  life  were  found,  would  it  indeed  be  in  the 
mansions  of  the  rich  where  we  should  see  it  ?  The 
response  to  this  question  I  leave,  my  hearers,  to 
yourselves. 

Do  you  think  that  I  have  too  greatly  detracted 
from  the  value  of  earthly  riches  ?  it  is  because  their 
value  is  generally  too  highly  extolled  and  exagger- 
ated. Let  him  on  whom  they  are  bestowed  by  the 
hand  of  God,  or  who  gathers  them  as  the  fruits  of 
his  honest  industry,  enjoy  thankfully  what  he  can 
or  may  enjoy  of  them,  and  strive  above  all  to  be 
also  rich  in  God  !  But  he  serves  Mammon,  whose 
thoughts  and  desires,  whose  restless  chase  and  en- 
deavor, are  simply  to  gather  money  and  property ; 
him  I  denominate  a  poor,  unhappy  slave  ! 

Fix  now  your  eyes  on  the  treasures  of  the  heav- 
enly kingdom,  righteousness,  peace,  and  joy  in  the 
Holy  Ghost  ;  knowledge,  virtue,  and  blessedness 
through  Jesus  Christ  !  Consider  what  enjoyment 
you  can  have  from  those  blessings,  in  youth  and  old 
age,  in  occupation  and  rest,  in  joy  and  sorrow,  in 
life  and  death  !  Does  there  indeed  lie  concealed  in 
the  bowels  of  the  earth,  or  in  the  depths  of  the  sea, 
a  treasure  that  is  to  be  esteemed  above  this,  that  is 
to  be  placed  in  competition  with  this  ?     Where  is 


198  SERMONS. 

the  jewel,  though  destined  to  adorn  the  crown  or 
sceptre  of  a  monarch,  that  can  be  sold  so  dear,  for 
which  so  much  is  to  be  demanded  ?  Oh  happy  they 
who  have  found  that  heavenly  treasure,  that  celes- 
tial pearl !  No  lack  nor  care  have  they  any  more 
to  fear ;  all  their  wants,  the  purest  desires  of  their 
souls,  shall  be  supplied  and  satisfied.  Seek  that 
treasure,  that  pearl,  my  beloved  ;  though  they 
should  cost  you  gold  and  pearls,  you  could  not  pay 
too  high  a  price  for  them  !  But  they  lie  before  you ; 
and  at  your  request  they  will  certainly  become 
yours,  from  Him  who  in  his  Son  will  bestow  on  you 
the  entire  riches  of  his  love  and  deity  !  Seek  that 
treasure,  that  pearl  ;  for  you  cannot  dispense  with 
them.  Earthly  treasures  you  can  dispense  with  ; 
many  are  without  them,  and  are  happy  in  moderate, 
and  even  in  straitened  circumstances.  Earthly 
treasures  we  must  leave  behind,  when  we  all,  equally 
poor  and  naked,  sink  in  the  dark  grave.  But  the 
blessings  of  God's  kingdom  we  cannot  dispense  with  ; 
however  we  may  conceal  it  from  ourselves  and 
others,  disguise  and  endeavor  to  forget  it  in  the 
diversions  of  the  world,  we  cannot  be  without 
them  without  becoming  wretched  and  miserable. 
What  a  life  is  it  never  to  think  of  God,  not  to 
thank  him  for  his  benefits,  never  to  dare  descend 
into  one's  own  heart,  without  peace  of  mind,  in 
fear  of  death  and  eternity  !  What  a  life,  on  the 
contrary,  to  live  in  nearness  to  the  heavenly  Father, 
reverently  to  follow  the  course  of  his  love,  to  lose 
one's  self  in  the  riches  of  his  compassions  in  Christ 
Jesus  !  cheerful,  genial,  as  an  honor  to  society,  as  a 


SERMONS.  199 

blessing  to  humanity  ;  tranquil  in  God,  whatever  the 
fickleness  of  the  world  may  produce,  and  on  the 
approach  of  the  dying  hour  laying  himself  down 
confidently,  like  the  wearied  traveller  on  his  couch, 
awaiting  a  joyful  morning  !  This  is  to  be  rich  ;  this 
is  to  possess  treasures  !  What  worldly  good  can  be 
compared  with  this?  This  is  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,  my  beloved,  revealed  and  founded  by 
Jesus ;  this  is  the  gospel  of  salvation  !  Esteem 
yourselves,  then,  rich  and  happy  when  you  have 
found  it,  and,  whatever  befall  you,  never  complain  of 
your  lot.  Esteem  yourselves  rich  and  happy  with 
such  a  gospel  ;  what  can  you  not  dispense  with 
having  such  a  possession  ?  what  can  you  not  bear 
for  such  a  recompense  ?  And  what  you  now  enjoy 
is  only  a  faint  foretaste  of  what  shall  be  granted  you 
from  the  full  riches  of  your  Lord,  when  his  king- 
dom shall  be  revealed  in  glory  !     Amen. 


200  SERMONS. 


SERMON  II. 

THE   RAISING   OF   THE   YOUNG   MAN   AT 

NAIN. 

And  it  came  to  pass  the  day  after,  that  he  went  into  a  city  called 
Nam:  and  many  of  his  disciples  went  with  him,  and  much  people. 

Now,  when  he  came  nigh  to  the  gate  of  the  city,  behold,  there  was  a 
dead  man  carried  out,  the  only  son  of  his  mother,  and  she  was  a  widow: 
and  much  people  of  the  city  was  with  her. 

And  when  the  Lord  saw  her,  he  had  compassion  on  her,  and  said 
unto  her,  Weep  not. 

And  he  came  and  touched  the  bier:  and  they  that  bare  him  stood 
still.     And  he  said,  Young  man,  I  say  unto  thee,  Arise. 

And  he  that  was  dead  sat  up,  and  began  to  speak:  and  he  deliv- 
ered him  to  his  mother. 

And  there  came  a  fear  on  all:  and  they  glorified  God,  saying,  That  a 
great  prophet  is  risen  up  among  us ;  and,  That  God  hath  visited  his 
people.  —  Luke  vii.  11-16. 

There  is  between  the  deeds  of  Jesus,  during  his 
walk  on  earth,  and  the  works  of  God,  who  sent 
him,  a  certain  unmistakable  feature  of  resemblance  ; 
such  as  that  between  the  Heavenly  Father  and  the 
only  begotten  Son  must  naturally  be.  As  soon  as 
we  cast  our  eye  on  any  part  of  the  extensive  crea- 
tion, our  attention  is  at  once  arrested  by  one  or 
other  perfection  of  the  great  Creator,  shining  forth 
therein  ;  but  on  each  renewed  contemplation  we  find 
more  and  successively  more  of  these  perfections 
revealed  in  every  object.  Where  we  first  noticed 
only  beauty,  we  presently  find  also  just  placing, 
afterwards  utility,  matchless  skill ;  till  wisdom,  good- 


SERMONS.  201 

ness,  and  power,  uniting  before  our  enraptured  con- 
templation, wholly  penetrate  us  with  the  idea  of  end- 
less magnificence.  Not  otherwise  is  it  with  us,  my 
hearers,  when  we  fix  our  attention  on  all  that  Jesus 
performed  in  this  world.  Every  attentive  person 
presently  sees,  in  each  of  his  acts,  now  a  trait  of  his 
heavenly  character,  then  a  wise  and  sublime  design, 
presently  an  evidence  of  his  incomparable  greatness, 
or  a  preparation  of  successively  more  momentous 
events,  a  brilliant  development  of  the  hidden  pur- 
pose of  his  mission.  And  when  all  this  has  been 
step  by  step  disclosed  to  us,  and  we  now  think  we 
know  and  penetrate  all  the  designs  and  all  the  attri- 
butes of  his  deeds,  there  still  remains,  for  every 
renewed  meditation,  more  to  be  noticed  and  more 
to  be  admired  !  Let  no  one  think  that  this  is  boast- 
ing, or  a  consequence  of  foolish  prepossession.  No, 
let  us  carefully  observe  every  one  of  Jesus'  acts  ;  let 
us  endeavor  to  penetrate  his  meaning  and  to  read 
his  heart ;  let  us  follow  him  thus  on  his  walk,  from 
the  time  that  he  humbly  and  beneficently  began  his 
course,  till  he  painfully  but  gloriously  finished  it ; 
and  at  each  successive  step  it  will  become  clearer  to 
us  that  he  who  had  seen  him  had  also  seen  the 
Father,  that  God  can  be  known  in  the  face  of  his 
Son  ! 

We  have  now  before  us  one  of  the  most  momen- 
tous acts  of  Jesus  during  his  prophetic  mission, —  the 
raising  of  a  dead  man,  who  was  the  only  son  of  a 
widow.  And  who  does  not  at  once  see  therein  the 
expanded  and  sublime  philanthropy  of  our  compas- 
sionate  Saviour?     Who  not  the   unlimited   power 


202  SERMONS. 

with  which  he  was  invested  ?  Who  not  the  con- 
firmation of  the  glorious  title  which  he  gave  him- 
self, that  he  was  the  resurrection  and  the  life  ? 
Who,  finally,  recognizes  not  in  this  philanthropic, 
mighty  conqueror  of  death  and  the  grave,  the  only 
and  sufficient  Redeemer  of  mankind?  These  par- 
ticulars I  would  in  this  hour  briefly  unfold  to  you, 
after  having  with  few  words  illustrated  the  narrative 
of  the  event. 

Thou,  Lord  Jesus,  Son  and  image  of  him  whom 
we  adore  as  our  God  and  our  Father,  give  us  to 
understand  and  to  feel  something  of  thy  heavenly 
mind,  that  we,  revering  thee,  and  believing  in  thee, 
may  thus  also,  as  thou  hast  promised  thy  friends,  be 
raised  up  b}r  thee  at  the  last  day.     Amen  ! 

I.  I  must  then,  in  the  first  place,  explain  in  few 
words  the  account  of  the  occurrence  ;  if  it  may  be 
called  explanation,  that  I  briefly  mention  some  small 
particulars  passed  over  by  the  evangelist ;  unfold 
somewhat  more  fully  others,  only  just  touched  on 
by  him ;  and  place  you  and  myself  in  that  frame  of 
mind  which  the  nature  of  this  affecting  occurrence, 
and  the  simple,  beautiful  style  of  Luke,  must  cause 
to  be  produced  in  us. 

In  the  province  of  Galilee,  not  far  from  the  cele- 
brated Tabor,  at  the  foot  of  the  little  Hermon,  lay 
the  small  city  Nain,  in  whose  vicinity  the  miracle 
was  performed,  which  we  are  now  going  to  contem- 
plate together.  Thither  Jesus  had  directed  his 
steps  from  Capernaum,  where,  the  day  before,  with- 
out touching  him,  or  even  seeing  him,  he  had,  by 
the  single  word  of  his  will,  healed  the  servant  of  a 


SERMONS.  203 

Roman  centurion  of  a  mortal  sickness.  This  occur- 
rence had  made  a  deep  impression  of  amazement 
and  interest  in  the  wonder-working  prophet ;  and  it 
was  therefore  not  strange,  when  he  was,  the  day  fol- 
lowing, seen  withdrawing  with  his  disciples  from  the 
city,  that  besides  these  also  much  people  went  with 
Mm. 

I  seem  to  see  this  numerous  company  proceeding 
in  a  stately  manner  through  the  magnificent  district. 
Jesus  is  accessible  to  each,  affable  to  all.  Now  he 
converses  with  his  disciples  ;  then  he  answers  the 
questions  of  some  from  among  the  multitude ;  and, 
when  these  are  of  particular  moment,  or  are  brought 
to  him  in  the  name  of  many,  he  beckons  to  them  to 
keep  silence,  or  commands  all  to  be  seated  around 
him,  and,  standing  in  their  midst,  he  speaks  to  them 
of  the  things  of  his  kingdom. 

Thus  slowly  advancing,  they  were  not  far  from 
the  gate  of  Nain,  when  they  were  met  by  another 
multitude  from  the  city.  From  the  profound  still- 
ness and  dejection  that  reigned  among  them,  and 
from  the  lamentations  of  some,  it  was  quickly  per- 
ceived that  they  accompanied  a  funeral  procession. 
Presently  the  bier  was  also  seen,  and  the  dead  lying 
thereon,  and  beside  it  a  disconsolate  woman,  whose 
profound  grief  seemed  to  break  the  hearts  of  all 
present.  Inquiry  was  made,  and  it  was  soon  ascer- 
tained that  the  dead  was  an  only  son  of  his  mother, 
and  that  the  mother  was  a  widow.  What  an  affect- 
ing death.  An  only  child  of  his  mother,  in  whom 
were  united  all  her  worldly  prospects  of  joy  and 
pleasure,  and  with  whom  she  had  lost  all !     Of  this 


204  SERMONS. 

I  say  no  more  ;  the  unutterable  woe  and  oppression 
of  the  maternal  heart  can  be  expressed  by  no  lan- 
guage !  And  this  mother  was  a  widow.  She  had 
no  husband  to  comfort  her ;  the  last  of  love's  ten- 
derest  ties  had  now  been  severed,  and  she  must  sur- 
vive all  her  grief !  The  child,  that  must  be  to  her 
at  once  husband  and  son,  the  stay  of  her  declining 
years,  perhaps  her  only  security  against  an  indigent 
old  age,  she  accompanied  with  her  tears  to  the 
grave ;  and  cherished,  it  may  be,  the  secret  wish 
that  soon  the  same  earth  might  cover  her  and  her 
darlino- ! 

It  will  not  now  surprise  you,  my  hearers,  that 
there  was  so  great  a  multitude  out  of  the  city  with 
her.  For  we  must  confess,  to  the  honor  of  our  na- 
ture, that  sensibility  and  sympathy  can  yet  warm 
our  bosom,  and  that  often  the  loud  laughter  of  joy 
has  less  attraction  for  us  than  to  shed  tears  with  the 
unhappy.  But  we  may  also  safely  conclude  from 
this  general  mourning  that  both  mother  and  son 
were  numbered  among  the  virtuous  of  the  city  ;  for 
had  the  widow  been  a  degenerate  mother,  or  the  son 
a  base  child,  his  corpse  would  have  been  borne  to 
the  grave  unattended  and  unlamented  ! 

Thus  far  have  I  been  able,  my  hearers,  by  ampli- 
fication, or  unfolding,  to  bring  the  account  of  Luke 
somewhat  nearer  to  your  imagination.  But  now 
that  the  evangelist  is  going  to  exhibit  to  us  Jesus  in 
the  midst  of  this  multitude,  beside  the  funeral  bier, 
between  the  mother  and  the  dead,  —  what  he,  the 
only  Jesus,  felt  and  performed  by  it,  and  how  he,  by 
the  utterance  of  a  few  words,  converted  this  scene 


SERMONS.  205 

of  affliction  and  mourning  into  a  spectacle  of  amaze- 
ment and  rapture,  —  now,  I  feel  that  courage  and 
strength  fail  me,  and  that  nothing  else  is  left  for  me 
than  to  give  you  a  more  vivid  conception  of  the 
beauty,  the  force,  the  majesty,  of  the  words  em- 
ployed by  Luke. 

Or  can  I  draw  the  deep  and  hearty  feeling  which 
penetrated  the  soul  of  Jesus,  at  the  sight  of  the  dis- 
consolate mother,  more  emphatically  and  visibly 
than  with  these  words :  and  ivhen  the  Lord  saw  her, 
he  had  compassion  on  her?  or,  according  to  the  let- 
ter of  the  original,  he  felt  his  boivels  yearn  over  her  ! 
He,  the  Lord  !  in  whose  human  feelings  even  shone 
forth  in  an  inexpressible  manner  that  he  was  the 
Lord  of  glory  !  Shall  I  drown  in  a  flood  of  many 
others  the  two  words,  weep  not,  which  he  addressed 
to  the  woman,  being  the  only  ones  which  he  now 
would  and  could  utter  ?  Yes,  could  I  portray  with 
what  an  expression  of  countenance  and  bearing  he 
approached  her,  with  what  a  deeply  moved  tone  of 
tenderness  and  comfort,  inspiring  faith  and  confi- 
dence, he  uttered  this  weep  not,  then  certainly  you 
would  not  impute  it  to  me  for  evil,  if  I  knew  how 
to  say  much  on  this  little.  But  the  disciples  them- 
selves, who  saw  and  heard  him,  never  ventured  to 
give  us  a  description  of  all  this  ;  and  let  then  the 
knowledge  thereof  be  reserved  for  us,  till  we  also 
shall  see  him  in  the  midst  of  his  friends  and  re- 
deemed ! 

If  the  description  of  how  Jesus  was  affected  at 
the  sight  of  the  heart-breaking  sorrow  of  the  mother 
is  inimitable  in  the  expression  of  feeling  and  truth, 


206  SERMONS. 

not  less  so  is  the  majesty  with  which  the  miracle  is 
related.  And  he  came,  thus  we  read,  and  touched 
the  bier :  the  bearers  understood  that  signal,  and 
stood  reverently  still ;  for  that  the  great  prophet, 
who  otherwise  meddled  with  no  one's  affairs,  and 
let  the  dead  bury  their  dead,  in  such  a  mysterious, 
imperative  manner  touched  the  funeral  bier, — this 
of  itself  excited  a  dark  presentiment  that  something 
wonderful  would  happen,  that  perhaps  the  spirit 
and  power  of  Elias  would  manifest  themselves  in 
him  ! 

Young  man,  I  say  unto  thee,  Arise !  Imagine 
these  words  uttered,  as  alone  the  Son  and  the  image 
of  God  could  utter  them !  As  he  must  have  ut- 
tered them  at  the  moment  that  the  thought,  /  am 
the  resurrection  and  the  life,  filled  his  whole  soul. 
Young  man,  I  say  unto  thee,  Arise!  What  myste- 
rious words :  thou  dead,  I  command  thee,  live  !  But 
still  more  wonderful,  the  dead  hears  that  voice  and 
revives  !  The  fettered  animal  spirits  are  again 
loosened ;  the  heart  beats,  the  coagulated  blood 
again  flows  ;  the  color  returns  to  the  cheeks,  the 
soul  to  its  forsaken  habitation  ;  and  the  dead,  but 
now  reviving,  sits  up,  raised  up  by  the  hand  of 
Jesus  !  Who  is  he,  pray,  whose  voice  sounds  even 
into  the  kingdom  of  the  dead  ?  And  this  was  no 
imagination,  no  illusion  of  the  senses.  The  young 
man  presently  showed  the  most  evident  signs  of  life, 
and  began  to  speak.  God's  spirit,  my  hearers,  com- 
municates to  us  in  his  Word  no  particulars  of  mere 
curiosity.  How  gladly  would  we  otherwise  know 
the  first  stammering  words  of  the  young  man,  awak- 


SERMONS.  207 

ing  on  a  death-bier,  amid  the  concomitants  of  a 
funeral  solemnity,  and  at  the  hand  of  Jesus !  How 
gladly  should  we  see  this,  and  the  sweet  confusion 
of  his  senses,  and  the  affecting  surprise  of  the 
mother,  described  by  the  pen  of  a  Luke  !  Perhaps 
we  shall  feel  something  of  all  this  when  we  also,  at 
the  last  of  the  days,  shall  awake  from  the  sleep  of 
death,  and  see  our  brethren  arise  beside  us ! 

One  more  act  of  silent  greatness  did  Jesus  add  to 
the  preceding  miracle.  He  himself  conducted  the 
young  man  from  the  bier  to  his  mother.  The  evan- 
gelist says  :  he  gave  him  to  his  mother.  Certainly, 
she  now  received  her  child  from  Jesus,  as  a  gift 
from  his  hand  !  That  she  did  not  speak,  that  trans- 
port held  her  tongue  fettered,  that  she,  with  the 
youth  at  her  bosom,  adoringly  fell  down  before  Je- 
sus, and  felt  more  than  ever  a  human  tongue  will  be 
able  to  express,  Luke  needed  not  to  mention.  But 
Jesus  also  probably  did  not  now  speak  ;  great  and 
unspeakable,  divine  and  human  sentiments  pene- 
trated him  ;  and  all  his  acts,  his  countenance,  his 
bearing,  his  silence  even  was  expressive  ! 

What  impression  this  amazing  occurrence  made 
on  the  bystanders  is  communicated  to  us  at  the  close 
of  this  account.  And  there  came  a  fear  on  all :  and 
they  glorified  Gfod,  saying,  That  a  great  prophet  is 
risen  up  among  us ;  and,  Tliat  G-od  hath  visited  his 
people  !  Of  many  of  Jesus'  miracles  it  is  mentioned 
to  us  that  they  produced  a  different  effect  on  dif- 
ferent ones  of  the  beholders ;  and,  whilst  some  re- 
garded the  authority  of  his  heavenly  mission  thereby 
incontrovertibly   established,   that    others    doubted, 


208  SERMONS. 

contradicted,  suspected  deceit  and  sorcery,  or  could 
not  believe,  because  they  would  not  believe.  But 
of  this  miracle  we  read  that  it  made  on  all  present 
one  and  the  same  impression,  of  reverential  awe  and 
God-glorifying  acknowledgment  of  Jesus'  worth 
and  greatness.  And  indeed  all  was  here  so  dis- 
posed that  even  the  most  obstinate  Pharisee,  at  this 
moment,  could  not  divest  himself  of  these  devout 
sentiments,  and  was  in  spite  of  himself  constrained 
to  unite  his  voice  with  that  of  the  applauding  mul- 
titude. In  a  slow  and  stately  manner,  Jesus,  with 
his  company,  was  approaching  the  city,  when  sud- 
denly the  sight  of  a  funeral  procession,  the  corpse 
of  a  young  man,  a  weeping  multitude,  a  sobbing 
widow,  brought  them  to  a  stand.  They  see  how 
Jesus  is  overtaken  and  disquieted  by  sudden  emo- 
tion ;  presently  his  countenance  and  bearing  are 
restored,  and  exhibit  an  inimitable  majesty  ;  he 
commands,  and  the  dead  rises  up,  speaks,  and  falls 
into  the  arms  of  his  mother  !  No !  here  could  be 
no  collusion  ;  here  no  deception  nor  sorcery  ;  here 
no  base  design  nor  illusion  of  the  senses  could  have 
place  ;  nor  even  the  suspicion  thereof  arise  in  any ; 
fear  seized  them  all,  and  they  glorified  God,  saying : 
A  prophet,  a  great  prophet,  has  arisen  among  us, 
and  God,  who  seemed  to  have  forsaken  his  people, 
by  withholding  from  us  so  many  ages  long  his  mes- 
sengers, God  has  visited  his  people  !  I  have  felt  the 
more  constrained  to  notice  this,  because  we  are  now, 
alas,  obliged  to  confirm  the  genuineness  of  such 
accounts  by  internal  marks  of  sincerity,  and  to  vin- 
dicate even  Jesus  from  the  cowardly  accusation,  as 


SERMONS.  209 

if  he  by  vain  tricks  knew  how  to  mislead  the  multi- 
tude. Respecting  this  I  shall  not  now  spend  any 
more  words,  but  at  once  pass  over,  to  cause  you, 

II.  In  the  second  place,  to  revere,  in  this  mar- 
vellous scene,  Jesus,  the  greatest  philanthropist; 
Jesus,  invested  with  unlimited  power  ;  Jesus,  the 
resurrection  and  the  life;  Jesus,  the  Redeemer  of 
mankind.  I  shall,  however,  comprise  all  this  in  a 
narrow  compass,  and  endeavor  to  bring  these  scat- 
tered traits  so  near  to  each  other  that  the  unity  of 
the  heavenly  image  be  not  lost. 

To  estimate  the  philanthropy  of  Jesus,  as  it  shone 
forth  in  this  occurrence,  at  its  true  value,  we  must 
contemplate  it  as  having  flowed  from  a  sympathiz- 
ing heart,  as  practised  from  noble  principles,  and  as 
exercised  in  an  inimitable  manner. 

And  when  the  Lord  saw  her,  he  had  compassion  on 
her.  It  was,  then,  the  anguish  alone  of  the  incon- 
solable mother,  it  was  Jesus'  friendly  participation 
in  that  anguish,  that  induced  him  to  work  this  mir- 
acle. At  the  sight  of  it  his  bowels  were  deeply 
moved  within  him,  and  his  emotion  became  too 
powerful  for  him.  He  therefore  turns  at  once  to 
the  woman,  and  can  hardly  utter  the  words,  Weep 
not ;  and  when  he  had  raised  the  youth  up  from  the 
bier,  he  goes  towards  her,  and  restores  her  child  to 
her.  Jesus,  who  knows  that  all  earthly  losses  are 
simply  separations  for  a  time,  that  we  must  contem- 
plate them  in  the  light  of  the  future  life,  and  mod- 
erate our  grief,  cannot,  however,  bear  the  idea  of 
seeing  a  feeble  woman,  at  the  grave  of  her  only  son, 
choked  with  grief !     Jesus,  who  knows  the  insignifi- 

14 


210  SERMONS. 

cance  and  unworthiness  of  mortals,  and  knows  that 
they  have  justly  deserved  even  the  most  grievous 
calamities,  is  not,  however,  proof  against  the  tears 
of  maternal  anguish.  Where  he  sees  them  flow, 
though  it  must  cost  him  the  highest  proof  of  his 
power,  he  will  stop  that  flood  of  tears  !  What  an 
example  of  sincere  and  active  sensibility  !  Woe  to 
him  who  stops  his  ears  and  closes  his  heart  to  the 
unfortunate.     Jesus  will  be  his  Judge ! 

To  do  good  is  the  great  vocation  of  our  humanity. 
To  gladden  the  sorrowful,  to  deliver  the  unfortunate 
out  of  distress  and  trouble,  to  scatter  blessings  and 
diffuse  happiness  around  us,  and  in  doing  this  to  be 
satisfied  with  the  consciousness  of  doing  our  duty 
and  the  will  of  God,  without  aiming  at  reward  or 
honor  from  men,  —  this  we  call  to  do  good  from  no- 
ble principles  ;  and  this  is  also  the  striking  charac- 
teristic of  all  the  good  that  Jesus  performed.  Had 
he  by  his  miracles  aimed  at  bringing  himself  into 
esteem  and  credit,  securing  fame  or  wealth,  what  an 
entirely  different  course  must  he  then  have  pursued. 
You  see  him  not  at  the  sick-beds  of  the  Jewish 
magnates,  by  miraculous  cures  soliciting  remunera- 
tion or  applause.  Who  knows  how  many  of  them, 
in  the  time  of  his  travels,  had  lost  an  only  or  be- 
loved child,  which  they  would  gladly,  with  the  half 
of  their  treasures,  have  purchased  back  from  him  ; 
yet  he  passes  their  dwellings  by,  and  has  not  even  a 
sign  to  make  them  ashamed.  But  does  he  see  an 
unfortunate  widow,  who  with  her  only  child  has  lost 
all,  who  now  supposes  herself  forsaken  of  God  and 
man,  and  knows  no  other  refuge  than  the  hospitable 


SERMONS.  211 

grave,  whither  she  attends  the  precious  corpse,  pres- 
ently he  feels  himself  subdued  and  overcome  by 
commiseration  of  humanity ;  he  feels  an  irresistible 
impulse  to  set  at  work  all  the  power  granted  him, 
and  rather  to  loosen  the  bands  of  death  than  do  vio- 
lence to  his  inward  feeling  for  the  holiest  ties  of 
nature  !  This,  my  beloved,  I  call  doing  good  from 
noble  principles  ! 

And  would  you  see  your  admiration  of  his  love 
rise  still  higher ;  behold,  then,  in  what  a  silent  and 
sublime  manner  he  exercises  his  beneficence.  The 
account  of  Luke  is,  in  the  representation  of  this, 
beautiful  and  inimitable.  How  little  does  Jesus 
say  ;  how  he  does  all  that  he  does  without  ostenta- 
tion and  without  preparation  !  Weep  not,  is  all  that 
he  says  to  the  mother,  and  he  tells  her  not  what  will 
happen.  He  demands  not  that  the  bearers  stand 
still,  but  touches  the  bier.  The  entire  miracle  con- 
sists in  the  words  :  Young  man,  arise !  He  raises 
him  up,  leads  him  to  his  mother,  and  therewith  has- 
tens away,  to  avoid  all  adulation  and  all  thanks. 
Thus,  thus,  must  we  be  philanthropic,  to  secure 
approbation  with  God  ! 

But  the  Saviour  felt  not  only  the  mother's  grief; 
in  her  joy  he  would  also  share,  and  enjoy  her  look 
of  transport.  Therefore  he  himself  restored  her  son 
to  her,  as  an  evidence  that  he  had  raised  him  up  for 
her  sake,  and  in  order  to  lay  upon  her  an  eternal 
obligation.  Who  does  not  gratefully  acknowledge 
the  value  of  this  participation  of  our  Redeemer  in 
the  suffering  and  in  the  joy  of  his  brethren  ?  Surely, 
we  have  a  merciful  Hip'h  Priest !     He  feels  all  the 

D 


212  SERMONS. 

burdens  of  the  oppressed  heart ;  he  delights  in  the 
gladness  of  every  one  of  his  redeemed ;  and  we 
bear,  as  Christians,  the  name  of  the  greatest  philan- 
thropist. 

When  we  thus,  my  hearers,  pay  our  homage  to 
the  goodness  and  philanthropy  of  Jesus,  we  must  at 
the  same  time  raise  our  respect  for  him  higher ;  for 
the  raising  of  a  dead  man  is  a  benefit  that  far  tran- 
scends human  ability,  and  we  must  thus  with  rever- 
ence notice  here  the  unlimited  potver  granted  him. 

I  speak  with  premeditation  of  the  unlimited  power 
granted  him,  and  not  of  his  divine  omnipotence. 
For  though  for  the  performance  of  wonders  such  as 
Jesus  did,  no  less  power  were  required  than  that  of 
the  Creator  of  entire  nature,  we  know  that  the  Al- 
mighty often  exercised  this  miraculous  power  through 
men  ;  and  at  their  word,  by  their  intervention,  allowed 
the  most  amazing  signs  to  occur  ;  so  that  formerly 
Zarephath  and  Shunem  were  witnesses  of  the  same 
astounding  miracle  as  Nain  and  Bethany.  And  this 
was,  also  the  effect  that  it  had  on  the  bystanders. 
They  said  not,  God  has  appeared  in  our  midst ;  but, 
A  great  prophet  is  risen  up  among  us,  and  God 
hath  visited  his  people. 

We  should  however  mistake,  my  hearers,  if  we 
should  hence  conclude  that  Jesus,  in  the  perform- 
ance of  his  miracles,  did  not  show  himself  as  more 
and  higher  than  prophet  and  messenger  of  his  heav- 
enly Father.  For  the  prophets  ascribed  not  to  them- 
selves such  a  power  as  Jesus  ascribed  to  himself ; 
and  if  they  also  performed  miracles,  they  did  it  not  as 
Jesus  did.     Who  of  those  ancient  men  of  God  ever 


SERMONS.  213 

said  of  himself,  Before  Abraham  was,  I  am,  or 
styled  himself  greater  than  Solomon  ?  Read  their 
oracles ;  with  what  a  timid  scrupulousness  do  you 
find  the  words,  Thus  hath  the  Lord  spoken  unto 
me,  Thus  saith  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel,  repeated 
at  the  beginning  and  the  end  of  each  sentence. 
Whilst  Jesus  represented  himself  as  having  with 
his  doctrine  descended  from  heaven,  and  whose 
authoritative  declaration,  Verily,  I  say  unto  you, 
must  cause  all  doubting  to  cease.  None  of  the 
prophets  ever  presumed  to  forgive  sin  ;  and  though 
their  confidence  in  God  and  their  love  to  God 
had  no  limits,  they  did  not,  however,  call  Him 
their  own  father,  nor  say,  My  Father  worheth  hith- 
erto, and  I  work  ;  I  and  my  Father  are  one.  If, 
then,  miracles  must  serve  to  confirm  the  authority 
of  the  miracle-worker,  and  to  make  it  for  every  one 
undeniable  that  he  was  what  he  professed  to  be,  can 
we  deny  that  the  miracles  of  Jesus  stand  in  insep- 
arable connection  with  the  incomprehensible  dignity 
of  his  person,  and  the  unlimited  power  attached 
thereto  ? 

And  to  this  corresponds  also  the  manner  in  which 
he  performed  these  acts  of  heavenly  authority  ;  so 
as  they  were  not  performed  by  any  of  the  earlier 
messengers  of  God,  not  even  by  a  Moses,  nor  an 
Elias.  Compare  the  raising  of  the  widow's  child  at 
Zarephath,  —  for  that  of  the  son  of  the  Shunamite  by 
Elisha  can  still  less  come  into  consideration  here,  — 
compare  this  greatest  of  Elijah's  miracles  with  what 
you  see  take  place  at  Nain,  and  you  will  see  that 
they,  as  evidences  of  power  and  authority  granted 


214  SERMONS. 

to  a  man,  cannot  be  compared  with  one  another. 
Elijah  shuts  himself  up  with  the  dead,  prays  fer- 
vently, stretches  himself  upon  the  corpse,  till  he 
finally  perceives  life  returning  into  it.  But  Jesus 
speaks  and  acts  as  the  Almighty  God  himself,  visi- 
bly walking  about  on  earth,  would  have  spoken  and 
acted.  He  pra}*s  not,  but  he  himself  commands  ;  he 
awaits  no  higher  influence,  but  he  resolves  and 
does  what  wells  up  from  his  heart.  As  he  commands 
the  woman  that  she  shall  cease  her  weeping,  so  he 
commands  also  the  dead  that  he  shall  arise ;  and  as 
the  bearers  obey  his  signal,  the  dead  also  obeys  his 
command  !  Everything  is  astonished,  amazed,  agi- 
tated, because  all  nature  reveres  him,  and  death  and 
life  are  at  his  service !  I  admit  he  did  not  always 
perform  his  miracles  in  such  a  sublime  and  majestic 
manner,  because  the  multitude  could  not  endure 
that  heavenly  splendor,  and  he  had  a  career  of  hu- 
miliation to  finish.  But  here  it  is  as  if  he,  sur- 
prised and  overcome  by  the  tenderest  affection, 
shows  himself  wholly  as  he  is,  and  sets  aside  all 
other  considerations,  in  order  simply  to  help  and  to 
deliver,  as  God  alone,  as  alone  the  Son  of  God  can 
help  and  deliver. 

The  Son  of  God ;  yes,  my  beloved,  it  is  this  to 
which  we  must  adhere  when  we  would  in  any  meas- 
ure represent  to  ourselves  that  union  of  the  divine 
and  human  which  manifested  itself  so  resplendently 
but  mysteriously  in  Jesus.  And  should  we  then 
esteem  the  servant  equal  with  the  Son  ?  Let  then 
the  Son  have  received  all  his  power  from  the  Father, 
and  without  the  Father  be  able  to  do  nothing ;  yet 


SERMONS.  215 

lie  as  Son  commands  in  the  great  paternal  house, 
and  all  things  are  for  the  Father's  sake  subject  to 
him.  Dispenser  of  the  paternal  favors,  heir  and 
partaker  of  the  paternal  honor,  he  is  the  effulgence 
of  the  Father's  glory,  and  the  express  image  of  his 
person  ! * 

But  if  this  miracle  is  important  to  us,  in  order  to 
assure  us  of  the  divine  dignity  of  our  Saviour,  it  is 
not  less  so,  when  we  bring  it  into  connection  with 
the  hope  of  our  future  resurrection,  and  so  revere  in 
it  Jesus  as  the  resurrection  and  the  life. 

I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life.  This  remark- 
able saying  of  Jesus  himself  became  still  more  so 
by  that  which  he  subjoined  to  it :  he  that  believeth  in 
me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live ;  and  be- 
came so  most  of  all  by  the  occasion  on  which  he 
uttered  it,  for  he  was  then  on  his  way  to  raise  Laz- 
arus his  friend !  We  may  not,  then,  overlook  the 
connection  that  there  is  between  Jesus'  miraculous 
raising  of  the  dead  and  his  consolatory  promise :  he 
that  cometh  to  me  and  believeth  in  me,  I  will  raise 
him  up  at  the  last  day. 

The  belief  of  a  blessed  immortality  is,  according 
to  the  entire  doctrine  of  Jesus  and  his  apostles, 
most  closely  connected  with  the  belief  of  a  future 
resurrection.  The  comfort  of  the  gospel  is  not  sat- 
isfied in  translating  us  into  an  unknown  kingdom  of 
spirits  ;  but  promises  us  also  that  we  shall  live  again, 
and  that  the  marvellous  structure  of  the  human 
body  is  therefore  alone  destroyed  and  dissolved,  that 
it,  enriched  with  new,  and  to  us  unknown,  perfec- 

1  Zdfstandiyheid,  — self-existence. 


216  SERMONS. 

tions,  may  rise  again  as  from  its  ashes,  and  awake 
to  immortality  and  glory  !  This  doctrine  was  the 
soul  of  Jesus'  entire  preaching,  on  which  he  fixed 
all  the  prospects  of  his  attendants  and  disciples,  and 
for  which  he  required  of  them  that  they  should  be 
faithful  to  him  even  unto  death.  And  the  an- 
nouncer of  this  doctrine  not  only  confirms  his  heav- 
enly authority  by  other  amazing  signs,  he  not  only 
recalls  the  sick  to  health,  but  also  the  dead  to  life, 
and  thus  shows  himself  possessed  of  power  to  wrest 
from  the  grave  its  prey.  Shall  we  refuse  belief  to 
this  Prophet,  when  he  reveals  to  us  this  doctrine,  in 
order  to  acknowledge  no  other  authority  than  that 
of  our  shallow  penetration  ?  No,  we  impose  silence 
on  the  presumptuous  reflections  of  our  deceptive 
intellect.  We  revere  the  wonders  of  God's  coun- 
sel, brought  to  light  by  Jesus,  and  say  to  him  :  Yes, 
Jesus,  thou  art  the  resurrection  and  the  life  ! 

Yet  we  need  not  dissemble  it,  that  the  belief  of 
our  future  resurrection  is  a  great  belief;  and  that 
the  possibility  of  a  resurrection  of  this  body,  when 
we  at  the  same  time  endeavor  to  represent  to  our- 
selves the  manner  of  it,  appears  to  us  doubtful,  and 
wellnicrh  inconceivable.  But  how  much  is  there  in 
the  natural  and  moral  kingdom  of  God  that  seems 
to  us  impossible  and  inconceivable  !  To  somewhat 
assist  us,  however,  even  in  this,  God  has  by  his  en- 
voys caused  the  dead  to  be  recalled  to  life  ;  and  all 
who,  at  their  bidding,  above  all,  they  who  arose  from 
the  dead  at  the  voice  of  Jesus,  stand  as  so  many 
proofs  of  the  possibility  of  our  resurrection.  It  is 
true,  the  bodies  of  those  dead  had  not  yet  passed 


SERMONS.  217 

into  a  state  of  putrefaction  and  dissolution  ;  but  the 
spark  of  life  was  however  extinguished,  and  the 
whole  animal  economy  had  been  brought  into  that 
state  of  which  the  putrefaction  and  dissolution  must 
be  the  inevitable  consequence.  In  our  view  it  may 
differ  to  cause  such  a  corpse,  or  one  whose  parts 
are  already  mouldered  or  dispersed,  scattered  hither 
and  thither,  or  mingled  with  others,  to  revive  ;  be- 
fore the  will  and  the  power  of  God  this  difference 
vanishes,  and  the  same  voice  of  Jesus,  that  said  to 
the  young  man,  Arise  !  can  also  collect  the  dust  that 
has  been  scattered  for  ages,  and  cause  man  to  rise 
again  from  his  ashes.  Yes,  Jesus,  thou  art  the  resur- 
rection and  the  life.  Did  this  appear  here  at  Nain, 
and  afterwards  at  Capernaum  and  Bethany  ;  so  shall 
it  also  appear  at  the  last  of  the  days,  when  all  graves 
shall  be  opened,  and  the  trump  of  the  archangel 
shall  vibrate  through  the  air,  to  assemble  us  before 
the  tribunal  of  thee,  our  Lord  ! 

When  we  now,  my  hearers,  combine  the  three 
particulars  already  developed :  that  Jesus  possessed 
an  unbounded  love  to  men ;  that  Jesus  was  invested 
with  unlimited  power ;  that  even  death  and  the  grave 
were  subject  to  him  ;  does  not  then  the  fourth,  that 
he  was  the  Redeemer  of  men,  naturally  and  of  itself 
flow  from  thence  ?  I  might  communicate  to  you 
much  respecting  this,  and  much  that  is  important ;  but 
I  shall  continue  to  study  the  same  brevity,  and  shall 
at  the  same  time  conclude  the  consideration  of  this 
last  particular  with  certain  admonitions  and  exhorta- 
tions applicable  thereto. 

The  truth  that  Jesus  Christ  has  reconciled  us  to 


218  SERMONS. 

God,  procured  the  forgiveness  of  our  sins,  and  be- 
come to  us  a  cause  of  eternal  blessedness,  —  this  truth, 
and  faith  in  the  same,  rest  principally  on  the  con- 
templation of  his  death,  and  on  the  utterances  of  the 
envoys  furnished  by  him  and  filled  with  his  Spirit, 
who  have  infallibly  pointed  out  to  us  the  immovable 
connection  between  that  death  and  the  salvation  of 
mankind.  But  these  proofs  I  may  not  now  enu- 
merate, and  I  must  only  enable  you  to  feel  how 
much  strength  they  receive  from  an  attentive  and 
serious  consideration  of  what  Jesus,  before  he  poured 
out  his  soul  in  this  death,  manifested  of  his  will, 
power,  and  character.  Yes,  thus  to  offer  himself 
as  a  voluntary  sacrifice  for  the  guilty,  required  a 
matchless  philanthropy.  But  can  you  conceive  of 
it  as  more  fervent,  purer,  and  more  heavenly,  than 
we  have  been  permitted  to  admire  it  in  Jesus  ?  To 
make  all  mankind  happy,  and  to  exclude  none  from 
that  blessing  save  him  who  by  wilful  blindness  ex- 
cludes himself;  to  found,  to  govern,  to  defend  an 
entire  kingdom  of  virtue  and  happiness  over  the 
whole  earth,  and  to  form  every  one  of  its  citizens 
for  heaven; — where  do  we  find  the  limits  of  the 
power  and  greatness  required  for  the  execution  of 
such  a  plan  ?  But  he,  who  here  below,  going  about 
in  the  form  of  a  servant,  was  already  invested  with 
such  marvellous  power,  what  must  not  his  majesty 
and  glory  be,  now  that  he  as  Lord  and  King  is 
seated  at  the  right  hand  of  his  Father  in  the  heav- 
ens  !  If  the  Son  of  the  eternal  Father  was  so  full 
of  love  for  guilty  and  lost  mortals,  so  greatly  con- 
cerned  in   their  grief,  and   so  ready  to   help   and 


SERMONS.  219 

gladden  them,  can  we  then  doubt  whether  the 
Father  also  loves  mankind,  and  will  bestow  eternal 
life  on  the  redeemed  of  his  Son  ? 

And  here,  my  beloved,  here,  yet  another  thought 
arises  in  my  mind.  Why  were,  I  pray,  all  the 
wonders  of  Jesus'  benefits  shown  to  the  unfortunate, 
cures  of  sicknesses  and  diseases,  that  threatened  or 
made  miserable  the  life  of  the  sufferers  ?  Might 
he  not  also  have  designed  thereby  to  show  that  there 
was  no  grief  or  pain  from  which  he  could  not  de- 
liver ?  That,  whatever  consequences  also  flowed 
from  the  wretched  state  of  sin,  he  could  remove  and 
cure  them  all  ?  That  he  who  could  say  to  the  par- 
alytic, Take  up  thy  bed,  and  ivalJc,  had  also  power 
to  say  to  him,  Be  of  good  cheer,  thy  si?is  are  forgiven 
thee? 

And  if  we  may  suspect  this  design  in  the  restora- 
tion of  the  sick,  how  much  more  in  the  raising  of 
the  dead.  Death  was  the  punishment  threatened 
in  the  morning  of  the  world  against  sin,  and  exe- 
cuted with  inexorable  severity.  Death  is  the  image 
of  all  calamities  and  miseries  which  are  the  conse- 
quences of  God's  lost  favor,  as  the  whole  idea  of 
felicity  and  salvation  is  comprised  in  the  one  word 
life.  If,  then,  Jesus  had  power  to  unloose  the  bands 
of  death  ;  to  snatch  from  him,  who  had  the  power 
of  death,  his  prey,  and  to  bestow  again  on  the  de- 
ceased the  lost  and  forfeited  life ;  can  we  then  doubt 
whether  he  is  the  Redeemer,  who  saves  us  from 
our  sins  ;  who  cancelled  for  us  the  sentence  of 
death,  and,  having  nailed  the  handwriting  of  our 
sins   to   his   cross,   was   raised   from   the   dead  for 


220  SERMONS. 

us,  that  we  should  live  and  reign  with  him  for- 
ever ? 

If  we,  then,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  have  such  a 
merciful  and  faithful  High  Priest,  in  the  things  that 
pertain  to  God,  to  expiate  the  sins  of  the  world, 
let  us,  with  humble  acknowledgment  of  the  privi- 
lege conferred  on  us,  as  his  zealous  followers  and 
friends,  cherish  love  for  his  great  amiability ;  pay 
respect  and  homage  to  his  heavenly  greatness  ;  rev- 
erently confide  in  his  grace  and  redemption,  rejoic- 
ing in  the  hope  of  salvation,  in  the  day  of  the  reve- 
lation of  his  coming.  But  for  this  it  is  not  enough 
that  we,  like  the  multitude  of  his  contemporaries, 
glorify  God  with  our  lips,  who  hath  also  for  us 
raised  up  such  a  great  prophet.  If  we  devote  not 
our  hearts  undividedly  to  him,  for  our  deficiencies 
and  transgressions  seek  in  the  inward  emotions  of 
his  pity  pardon  and  remission,  and  invoke  his  mirac- 
ulous power  to  cleanse  our  hearts,  to  renew  them, 
and  to  excite  in  us  a  new  life  of  faith  and  thankful- 
ness ;  if  we  seek  and  hope  for  less  than  this  from 
him,  then  will  the  impression,  which  we  now  per- 
haps feel  of  his  worth  and  divinity,  soon  pass  away ; 
and  whilst  we,  amid  the  cares  or  diversions  of  the 
world,  forget  and  disown  him,  death  will  perhaps 
overtake  us,  and  unexpectedly  put  an  end  to  this 
time  of  forbearance  and  preparation  !  We  are  all 
indeed  approaching  that  boundary  of  our  earthly 
life,  and  no  one  knows  how  many  or  few  paces  he 
is  still  distant  from  it !  Even  the  youth  we  see 
lying  on  the  funeral  bier,  and  borne  to  the  grave  by 
them  whom  he  hoped  to  survive  many  years.     The 


SERMONS  221 

mother  laments  as  well  her  son  as  the  child  his 
parents  ;  and  no  youth  nor  vigor  avails,  when  the 
hour  of  our  citation  strikes.  Let  it  then  strike  ear- 
lier or  later,  arrive  unexpectedly  or  longer  foreseen, 
if  we  have  loved  Jesus  and  known  him  in  the 
power  of  his  coming,  he  will  also  be  with  his  grace 
and  consolation  near  us  in  the  fearful  conflict  of 
death  ;  his  angel  shall  watch  over  our  dust,  and  he 
will  raise  us  up  at  the  last  day.  Oh,  joyful  assur- 
ance, with  which  we  can  tranquilly  enter  this 
dark  valley,  and  receive  with  resignation  the  part- 
ing kiss  of  our  dearest  pledges,  in  the  hope  of  a 
blissful  reunion  !  Or  if  we  have  already  seen  them 
go  before  us,  and  bedewed  their  precious  remains 
with  our  tears,  with  what  a  brightened  eye  can  we 
gaze  after  them,  hoping  to  receive  them,  once  and 
forever,  from  the  hand  of  Jesus ! 

Merciful  and  faithful  High  Priest  of  our  profes- 
sion, initiate  us  into  this  lively  and  infallible  hope  ! 
Sprinkle  us  to  this  end  with  thy  precious  blood,  the 
blood  of  the  better  covenant ;  and  dwell  in  us  with 
thy  spirit,  the  spirit  of  love  and  of  mercy,  that  shall 
rejoice  against  judgment !     Amen. 


222  SERMONS. 


SERMON  in. 

COMPLETE    REDEMPTION   IN   JESUS    CHRIST. 

But  of  him  are  ye  in  Christ  Jesus,  who  of  God  is  made  unto  us 
wisdom,  and  righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and  redemption.  — 
1  Cor.  i.  30. 

It  is  my  purpose  to  address  you  this  morning  on 
a  subject  which  is  at  all  times  and  even  above  all 
others  worthy  of  our  attentive  consideration  and 
serious  reflection,  but  now  especially  deserves  to 
occupy  us,  as  the  customary  passion-preaching  will 
be  resumed  among  us  this  evening,  from  which  it 
will  appear,  in  a  number  of  striking  and  affect- 
ing particulars,  how  much  it  cost  the  great  suf- 
ferer to  redeem  us  from  the  guilt  and  punish- 
ment of  sin,  when  he  became  obedient  to  his 
Father,  even  to  the  death  of  the  cross.  I  will 
therefore  speak  to  you  on  the  greatness  and  value 
of  the  merits  of  Jesus  in  relation  to  the  human  race, 
and  our  obligation  thence  arising  to  the  eternal 
Father,  who  gave  his  Son  for  us.  Let  us  prepare 
ourselves  for  this  meditation  by  humble  and  filial 

PRAYER. 

Father  in  heaven  !  Father  of  all  thy  creatures  ! 
Father  in  Christ  Jesus  of  all  who  confess  his  name 
and  who  are  disposed  to  serve  thee  in  uprightness 


SERMONS.  223 

of  heart !  We  appear  before  thee  with  humble 
thanksgiving  for  all  the  good  which  we  have  again 
received  from  thee,  of  which  all  the  days  of  our 
life,  and  also  the  week  which  we  have  been  per- 
mitted to  bring  to  a  close,  bear  witness  ;  we  are 
less  than  all  the  mercies  and  all  the  truth  which 
thou  showest  unto  us.  Thy  favor  reacheth  unto 
heaven,  therefore  the  children  of  men  take  refuge 
under  the  shadow  of  thy  wings.  But  of  all  thy 
gifts  and  favors  this  is  the  greatest,  that  Thou  hast 
given  thy  Son  for  us,  that  whosoever  believeth  in 
him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life. 
That  thou  didst  send  him  into  the  world,  not  only 
by  his  doctrine  and  his  walk  to  be  the  light  of  the 
world,  but  also  to  make  atonement  for  our  sins  by 
his  blood  ;  to  fill  by  his  sufferings  and  death  the 
chasm  which  separated  the  fallen  posterity  of  Adam 
from  thee ;  to  give  us  again  an  interest  in  thy  for- 
feited favor ;  and  to  be  for  us  all  that  we  need  for 
time  and  eternity,  in  order  that  we  may  enjoy  tran- 
quillity, comfort,  and  happiness.  We  shall  now  again 
continue,  in  our  religious  gatherings,  to  employ 
our  minds  with  the  history  of  his  last  hours,  when 
he  was  led  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  to  take  away 
the  sins  of  the  world.  Oh,  that  these  meditations 
may  be  to  us  all  sacred  and  precious  !  that  they 
may,  however  oft  repeated,  be  to  us  ever  welcome 
and  ever  new,  that  we  may  never  grow  weary  of 
following  him  constantly  from  step  to  step  on  his 
way  to  Golgotha,  where  he  offered  to  thee  the 
oblation  of  the  most  perfect  obedience  for  our  eter- 
nal salvation. 


224  SERMONS. 

To  this  end  impress  on  our  hearts  what  we  should 
be  without  him,  the  only  Saviour ;  what  we  are 
and  can  become  through  him,  who  of  thee  is  made 
unto  us  wisdom  and  righteousness  and  sanctifica- 
tion  and  redemption.  On  these  things  would  we 
meditate  at  this  time ;  may  our  meditation  be  ac- 
ceptable to  thee,  and  prove  a  rich  blessing  to  us 
all !  Grant  us  now  the  influence  of  thy  Holy 
Spirit,  that  speaker  and  hearers  may  be  animated 
by  the  same,  and  the  congregation  receive  the 
word  in  meekness  and  fear,  to  the  exciting  of  sin- 
cere desires  after  thy  salvation,  to  the  strengthen- 
ing and  confirmation  of  the  faith  of  all  who  love 
thee  and  thy  Son  in  sincerity.     Our  Father,  etc. 

This  first  chapter  of  Paul's  First  Epistle  to  the 
Corinthians  may  also  be  numbered  among  the  ex- 
amples of  the  unfettered  style  which  the  apostle 
for  the  most  part  employs  in  the  writing  of  his  Epis- 
tles ;  in  which  the  ideas  follow  each  other,  as  the 
one  flows  out  of  the  other,  without  a  plan  formed 
according  to  the  rules  of  art,  or  a  premeditated 
linking  together  of  the  subjects  to  be  presented. 
So  we  hear  him,  after  having  condemned  as  un- 
christian the  factions  which  had  arisen  in  the  Cor- 
inthian church,  speak  of  his  call  to  preach  the 
gospel,  with  the  laying  aside  of  all  human  wisdom ; 
intending  by  this  the  embellishment,  the  ostentation, 
and  the  subtilty  of  the  rhetoric  which  prevailed  at 
that  time  among  the  Greeks.  This  gives  him  occa- 
sion for  that  beautiful  contrast  between  wisdom  and 
folly,  strength  and  weakness,  as  they  appear  to  God 


SERMONS.  225 

or  to  men  ;  in  order  to  vindicate  by  this  means  the 
simplicity  of  his  gospel  preaching  as  that  by  which 
the  vanity  of  all  human  science  and  power  must  be 
exposed.  This  leads  him  to  cast  his  eye  again  on 
the  external  condition  of  the  Corinthian  church,  the 
greatest  part  of  whom  excelled  neither  in  knowl- 
edge nor  in  power  or  wealth  ;  wherefore  they 
could  not  glory  nor  ascribe  it  to  their  own  worthi- 
ness, but  must  render  the  thanks  to  God  alone, 
that  they  had  been  made  partakers  of  all  the  bene- 
fits procured  by  Christ.  Which  last  the  Apostle 
thus  expresses  in  my  text:  Of  him  are  ye  in 
Christ  Jesus,  who  of  God  is  made  unto  us  wisdom, 
and  righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and  redemp- 
tion. 

I  have  selected  this  text,  in  order  to  discourse  to 
you  respecting  Jesus  as  the  divinely  given,  com- 
plete, and  sufficient  Redeemer  of  mankind,  in  whom 
we  possess  all  that  we  need  for  our  moral  perfec- 
tion and  our  blessedness. 

I.  For  this  purpose  I  will,  first,  in  pursuance  of 
the  words  of  the  text,  exhibit  to  you  the  great  ben- 
efits which  God  has  bestowed  on  us  in  and  through 
Jesus ; 

II.  Endeavor,  in  the  second  place,  to  show  that 
we  need  nothing  more,  but  also  nothing  less  than 
these,  for  our  moral  perfection  and  felicity ; 

III.  In  order,  finally,  with  few  words,  to  excite 
you  to  gratitude  to  God,  to  whom  we  are  indebted 
for  this  most  transcendent  of  all  the  manifestations 
of  his  favor. 

I.  In  the  words   of  the  text   what  first   of  all 

15 


226  SERMONS. 

strikes  us  is  the  brevity  and  energy  of  the  apos- 
tolic mode  of  speech  in  the  expression,  Of  Him  are 
ye  in  Christ  Jesus.  Do  you  inquire  of  certain  mod- 
ern expositors  the  meaning  of  these  words,  they 
will  tell  you  that  they  signify  :  by  the  favor  of 
God  you  are  instructed  in  the  doctrines  of  Chris- 
tianity ;  and  thus  for  a  sublime  and  emphatic  utter- 
ance, they  substitute  a  phrase  faint,  general,  and  of 
far  too  little  significance.  To  be  in  Christ  is  an 
expression  that  is  very  common  to  Paul,  and  indi- 
cates such  a  union  of  believers  with  Christ,  as  by 
which  all  that  is  his  has  also,  as  it  were,  become 
theirs,  and  they,  as  he  elsewhere  expresses  it,  have 
died,  are  risen  and  glorified  with  him.  The  inti- 
mate and  undivided  community  of  all,  that  Jesus, 
by  his  coming  into  the  world,  by  his  sufferings  and 
exaltation,  has  procured,  is  therefore  intimated  by  it 
in  a  manner  that  must  lose  in  propriety  and  force 
by  every  other  formula  of  expression.  Do  you 
now  ask  to  what  it  is  due  that  the  believers  in 
Corinth  and  elsewhere  enjoyed  this  most  extensive 
participation  in  the  merits  of  Jesus  ?  The  Apostle 
tells  us  again,  with  very  comprehensive  brevity :  it 
is  of  Sim,  of  God !  by  which  not  only  is  all  per- 
sonal worth  on  the  part  of  man  excluded,  but,  as 
water  wells  up  from  a  fountain,  so  also  to  God's 
gracious  appointment  alone  is  ascribed  the  appli- 
cation of  all  the  salvation  procured  by  Jesus.  So 
much,  my  hearers,  is  included  in  the  words:  Of 
Him  are  ye  in  Christ  Jesus. 

The  Apostle,  now  so  entirely  filled  with  the  high 
and   divine  value   of  his  gospel  preaching,  cannot 


SERMONS.  227 

make  mention  ot  the  privilege  of  being  in  Christ 
Jesus,  without  expatiating  on  the  greatness  of  this 
privilege,  and  more  fully  indicating  what  is  included 
in  it :  ivho,  he  continues,  namely,  Christ  Jesus,  is  made 
of  God  unto  us  tvisdom,  and  righteousness,  and  sanc- 
tification, and  redemption.  We  find  here  four  words 
employed  :  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification,  and 
redemption,  whose  literal  signification  we  must 
first  limit,  in  order  afterward  to  examine  how  Jesus 
is  made  all  this  to  us  of  God. 

First,  tvisdom.  To  this  word,  used  in  this  chap- 
ter, in  different  senses,  according  to  the  different  de- 
sign of  the  Apostle,  we  can,  in  this  connection,  give 
no  other  signification  than  that  of  illumination  of 
the  understanding,  not  for  the  acquisition  of  the 
knowledge  of  things  pertaining  to  this  life,  which 
cannot  here  come  into  consideration,  but  for  the 
attainment  of  that  which  has  respect  to  our  relation 
to  God,  the  knowledge  of  ourselves  and  our  duty. 
It  is,  in  a  word,  Christian,  evangelical  wisdom,  which 
here  alone  can  be  intended  by  Paul.  The  word 
immediately  following  is  righteousness,  which  by 
some  is  taken  in  the  sense  of  the  practice  of  virtue. 
And  indeed  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  this  in- 
terpretation encounters  no  philological  difficulty,  as 
appears  from  almost  all  those  passages  where  the 
same  word  is  rendered  by  our  translators  righteous- 
ness or  justice.  In  this  place,  however,  the  only 
appropriate  one  is  that  of  pardon  of  sin,  or  right- 
eousness before  God;  as  sanctification,  that  is,  the 
sincere  disposition  to  practise  what  is  good  and 
well-pleasing   to    God,   is  mentioned    in    the    third 


228  SERMONS.  * 

place.  But  in  what  sense  must  we  here  under- 
stand the  word  redemption,  which  closes  this  enu- 
meration ?  It  signifies,  properly,  deliverance  by  the 
payment  of  a  ransom,  by  which  the  captive  is  re- 
leased from  his  fetters ;  by  which  the  slave  is  again 
restored  to  freedom  ;  and  seems,  in  this  connection, 
to  be  used  by  the  Apostle  to  designate  that  all-sur- 
passing measure  of  blessedness,  that  high  state  of 
felicity,  which  is  the  portion  of  those  to  whom 
Jesus  is  of  God  made  wisdom,  righteousness,  and 
sanctification  ;  as  if  he  had  said :  and  thereby  re- 
demption, deliverance  from  all  misery,  and  enjoy- 
ment of  the  highest  felicity. 

Behold,  my  hearers,  what  Jesus,  according  to 
the  plan  of  divine  wisdom  and  love,  has  become  to 
all,  who  of  God  are  in  him  :  a  cause  and  means  of 
true  illumination  of  the  understanding,  of  reconcil- 
iation and  favor  with  God,  of  purification  of  the 
soul,  and  by  all  this  of  possession  of  eternal  life ; 
such  a  powerfully  operating  cause,  such  an  infalli- 
ble means,  as  if  he  were  himself  our  wisdom,  our 
righteousness,  our  sanctification,  and  our  redemption. 
To  this  end,  therefore,  was  he  sent  by  the  Father 
into  the  world,  and  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a 
servant.  For  this  purpose  did  he,  the  only  begot- 
ten Son  who  was  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father, 
declare  God  unto  us,  whom  no  man  had  seen  or 
could  see. 

For  this  purpose  he  sojourned  among  men  as  the 
light  of  the  world ;  by  his  doctrine  and  miracles 
caused  the  truth  to  triumph  over  superstition  and 
error ;  pointed  out  to  man  his  high  vocation,  and 


SERMONS.  229 

brought  life  and  immortality  to  light.  With  this 
design  he  became  obedient  to  his  Father  even  unto 
death,  in  order  by  his  bitter  sufferings  and  ignomin- 
ious death  to  make  atonement  for  our  sins  by  his 
blood,  and  by  one  offering  to  perfect  forever  them 
that  are  sanctified.  For  this  purpose  he  procured 
the  Spirit  of  holiness  to  form  hearts  for  his  tem- 
ples by  faith,  by  gratitude  and  love,  to  purify  unto 
himself  a  peculiar  people  zealous  of  good  works. 
And  by  thus  going  about  as  our  heavenly  Teacher, 
by  thus  standing  at  the  tribunal  of  God  for  us,  by 
thus  animating  us  with  his  own  spirit  to  aid  us  in 
our  conflict  with  sins  of  heart  and  life,  and  to  make 
the  way  of  godliness  attractive  and  easy  to  us ; 
thereby  he  has  redeemed  us  from  destruction  and 
misery,  and  assigned  us  our  part  in  the  inheritance 
of  the  saints  in  light !  What  great,  what  excellent 
and  inestimable  benefits  has  God  thus,  in  and  with 
Jesus,  bestowed  upon  us,  and  which  are  comprised 
in  this :  that  he  of  God  is  made  unto  us  wisdom, 
righteousness,  sanctification,  and  redemption. 

II.  The  second  part  of  my  discourse  is  designed 
to  show,  that  we  need  nothing  more,  but  also 
nothing  less,  than  these  for  our  perfection  and  hap- 
piness, and  thus  to  cause  you  to  revere  in  Jesus 
the  divinely  given,  complete,  and  sufficient  Saviour 
of  mankind. 

I  know,  my  hearers,  that  I  speak  to  sensual 
men,  as  well  by  their  body  allied  to  the  material  as 
by  their  soul  to  the  spirit  world.  Also  as  sensuous 
beings  we  have  our  necessities  ;  there  exists  for  us 
pleasure  or  pain,  enjoyment  or  want,  and — why 


230  SERMONS. 

should  we  not  name  it  ?  —  happiness  or  unhappiness. 
Yet  to  this  happiness,  which  is  inconstant  in  its 
nature,  dependent  on  circumstances,  subject  to  vicis- 
situdes, and  which  must  certainly  once  fail  us  for- 
ever,—  to  this  happiness  or  unhappiness  the  benefits 
procured  by  Christ  stand  in  no  relation  save  that 
they  exhibit  the  value  or  worthlessness  thereof, 
enhance  the  enjoyment  of  the  former,  and  render 
the  latter  more  endurable.  Christianity  places  man 
on  a  far  more  elevated  stand-point,  and  regards  him 
not  only  as  susceptible  of  more  certain  and  purer 
pleasures,  of  which  he  is  not  to  be  deprived  by  time 
or  chance,  the  fountain  of  which  arises  within  him- 
self and  flows  beyond  the  grave  in  a  life  of  immor- 
tality, but  regards  him  also  as  above  all  other 
things  needing  those  pleasures  and  that  spiritual 
bliss,  as  without  them,  with  all  the  enjoyment  and 
luxury  of  the  world,  unhappy  ;  and  ascribes  to  him 
no  true  happiness  but  that  which  is  inseparably 
connected  with  moral  perfection  and  ennobling  of 
the  mind.  But  in  order  to  attain  this  blessedness, — 
I  need  not  demonstrate  to  you  now  that  it  is  the 
only  true :  you  are  Christians  and  have  often  heard 
it,  and  have  been  frequently  constrained  against 
your  will  to  acknowledge  it,  — in  order  to  attain  this 
felicity,  you  need  nothing  more  than  that  which 
Christ  Jesus  has  become  for  you.  Or  do  you  sup- 
pose that  for  its  attainment  something  else  or  more 
is  required  than  an  enlightened  mind,  a  pacified 
conscience,  and  a  purified  heart  ?  Let  your  thoughts 
freely  take  the  entire  circuit  of  your  spiritual  ne- 
cessities ;    demand  of  yourselves  what  suffices  you 


SERMONS.  231 

now  and  forever,  as  rational  beings  susceptible  of 
higher  enjoyment ;  and  no  other  answer  can  be  re- 
turned than  this,  —  an  enlightened  mind,  a  pacified 
conscience,  and  a  purified  heart ! 

Jesus  Christ  is  made  to  us  of  God  wisdom.  We 
do  not  all  possess  the  same  mental  powers  ;  we  are 
not  all  placed  in  the  same  situation  to  improve  or 
enrich  them.  There  are  many  who  by  the  allot- 
ment of  their  birth,  by  external  circumstances,  or 
by  their  own  capacity,  seem  to  be  limited  to  a  con- 
tracted measure  of  knowledge ;  but  yet  there  is 
learning,  that  lies  within  the  reach  of  all ;  and  this 
is  just  the  most  important  and  indispensable ;  it  is 
that,  the  attainment  of  which  is  accompanied  with 
the  sweetest  satisfaction,  and  causes  the  clearest 
light  to  arise  in  the  soul.  He  who  is  instructed  in 
the  school  of  Jesus,  —  and  in  this  school  all  pupils  are 
received,  even  those  who  are  not  admitted  into  the 
school  of  human  wisdom,  —  he  who  is  taught  in  the 
school  of  Jesus,  learns  there  to  know  God  in  the 
sublimest  and  most  amiable,  and  at  the  same  time 
in  the  most  simple  light,  as  if  the  eternal  Being 
descended  to  the  level  of  each  one's  capacity.  He 
does  not  fully  comprehend  the  deep  things  of  God, 
but  he  knows  what  God  is  and  will  be  for  him  ; 
what  he  must  be  for  God,  what  God  will  have  him 
become  and  be  !  He  who  possesses  this  knowledge 
is  rich,  though  he  be  unlettered  and  not  versed  in 
human  science ;  he  who  lacks  or  contemns  this 
knowledge  is  poor,  though  he  may  have  discovered 
the  secrets  of  nature  and  calculated  the  course  of 
the  stars  ;  and  even  though  the  disciples  of  Jesus' 


232  SERMONS. 

school  should,  through  the  conceit  of  the  worldly 
wise,  be  denominated  fools  and  weak,  the  Apostle 
has  declared,  The  foolishness  of  God  is  wiser  than 
men  ;  and  the  weakness  of  God  is  stronger  than  men : 
Jesus  Christ,  and  he  alone,  is  made  to  us  of  God 
wisdom  ! 

But  also  righteousness,  pardon  of  guilt.  A  con- 
science at  ease  before  men  is  a  great  treasure,  but 
infinitely  greater  a  conscience  at  ease  before  God  ! 
Are  there  those  who  seem  to  fear  no  heavenly 
Judge  of  their  actions ;  they  are  such  as  are  lamen- 
tably deceived,  whose  eyes  will  too  late  be  opened. 
The  history  of  mankind  in  all  ages  can  testify  —  and 
thousands  of  cruel  propitiatory  and  bloody  offer- 
ings of  human  victims  confirm  it  —  how  high  a  value 
peace  of  conscience  has  for  the  child  of  Adam 
sunk  in  the  guilt  of  sin.  But  no  penances,  how- 
ever severe,  no  offerings,  how  oft  soever  repeated, 
can  pacify  the  troubled  conscience ;  and  the  hope 
based  on  mercy  cannot  banish  from  the  heart  the 
dread  of  righteous  retribution.  But  Jesus  Christ 
is  made  to  us  of  God  righteousness ;  he  brought 
with  him  from  heaven  the  letter  of  our  acquittal 
from  guilt ;  he  preached  to  us  with  heavenly  au- 
thority a  forgiving  Father  in  heaven ;  he  himself 
became  security  for  it  with  his  blood.  He  himself 
atoned  for  our  guilt  on  Golgotha,  and  the  Father 
accepted  that  offering  of  eternal  reconciliation,  when 
He  raised  him  from  the  dead  and  glorified  him  at 
his  right  hand.  Oh  most  excellent  of  all  privileges ! 
Oh  greatest  of  all  benefits,  procured  for  us  by  Jesus  ! 
He  is  made  to  us  of  God  righteousness  !     Who  shall 


SERMONS.  233 

lay  anything  to  the  charge  of  God's  elect  ?  There  is 
therefore  now  no  condemnation  to  them  which  are  in 
Christ  Jesus  ! 

There  is  no  condemnation  to  them  which  are  in 
Christ  Jesus ;  so  spake  the  same  Apostle  ;  but  he 
immediately  adds,  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but 
after  the  Spirit.  And  also  in  an  ancient  poet  we 
read :  ivith  Him  is  forgiveness,  that  he  may  be 
feared.  If,  therefore,  Jesus  would  be  to  us  a  com- 
plete Saviour,  he  must  also  be  made  to  us  of  Cod 
sanctification.  It  is  sin  which  destroys  peace  of 
mind ;  it  is  the  depravity  of  our  nature  that  makes 
us  unsusceptible  of  true  enjoyment  of  soul ;  and  its 
eradication,  though  only  incipient,  is  the  condition 
of  our  happiness.  Without  holiness  no  man  can  see 
Cod.  In  all  ages  teachers  of  morals  have  not 
been  wanting  who  commended  virtue,  and  ex- 
hibited the  practice  of  it  in  all  its  amiableness  and 
necessity  ;  but  their  words,  however  elegant  and 
well  chosen,  did  not  penetrate  to  the  heart,  and 
their  motives  were  too  weak  to  overcome  the  resist- 
ance of  depravity.  There  is  nothing  that  can 
exert  that  power  but  faith  alone  ;  faith,  which  the 
Holy  Spirit,  whom  Jesus  also  procured,  works  by 
the  word  of  the  gospel  in  the  heart,  and  causes  to 
become  a  living  principle  of  volition  and  action. 
That  faith  kindles  a  flame  of  love  and  gratitude  to 
God  and  the  Redeemer,  and  refines  and  purifies  the 
soul ;  that  faith  introduces  us  into  a  new  society, 
a  society  of  the  blessed  ;  that  faith  constitutes  us 
citizens  of  heaven,  to  whom  this  earth  is  a  foreign 
land,  and  whose  fatherland  is  above  in  the  regions 


234  SERMONS. 

of  light :  Christ  Jesus  is  made  to  us  of  God  sanc- 
tijication  ! 

So  much,  my  hearers,  do  we  owe  to  Jesus,  who 
of  God  are  in  him :  illumination  of  the  mind,  peace 
of  conscience,  and  purification  of  the  soul.  Great 
and  inestimable  benefits,  even  when  each  is  viewed 
by  itself;  but  he  who  possesses  them  combined, 
what  a  treasure  lias  fallen  to  his  share  !  Yea,  of 
him  it  can  in  truth  be  said,  that  Christ  Jesus  has 
also  been  made  to  him  redemption.  Raised  above 
the  vicissitudes  of  the  world,  though  he  feel  the 
pressure  of  calamities,  his  spirit  hovers  in  higher 
and  freer  spheres ;  meditation  on  his  privileges 
causes  him  to  bathe  in  a  stream  of  pure  pleasure, 
the  fountain  of  which  wrells  up  out  of  his  own 
heart,  and  at  the  end  of  his  earthly  course  he  sees 
the  crown  of  glory  glittering.  Surely  he  to  whom 
Jesus  is  made  of  God  wisdom,  righteousness,  and 
sanctification,  needs  nothing  more  for  his  perfection 
here  below,  and  his  felicity  hereafter.  To  him 
Christ  Jesus  is  also  become  redemption  ! 

Yet  however  great  and  excellent  this  may  be,  we 
need  nothing  less,  in  order  that  we  may  be  truly  said 
to  be  redeemed  by  Jesus.  There  subsists  between 
these  benefits  such  an  inseparable  connection  that 
he  who  should  lack  one  of  them  would  also  be  in 
great  measure,  if  not  wholly,  deprived  of  the  en- 
joyment of  the  others.  Deprive  the  Christian  of 
that  which  Paul  here  denominates  wisdom,  and 
which  wTe,  in  sound  language,  should  style  genuine 
evangelical  knowledge,  —  knowledge  of  the  Divine 
Being,  as  it  has  been  declared  unto  us  by  Jesus, 


SERMONS.  235 

knowledge  of  the  doctrine  of  grace  and  of  the  doc- 
trine   of  godliness,    or,   as    the    Apostle    elsewhere 
expresses  it,   light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of 
God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ,  —  and  you  close  to 
him  not  only  the  fountain  of  his  purest  pleasures, 
but  you  deprive  him  also  of  the  ground  on  which 
rests  his  hope  of  forgiveness,  and  the  law  of  love  to 
God   and    his   neighbor   is    to    him  a  sealed  book. 
That  a  quiet  conscience  before  God,  produced  by 
the  consciousness  of  acquittal  in  the  divine  court,  is 
the   most  indispensable    of  all  blessings,  and  that, 
without  this,  all  that  is  termed  happiness  is  nothing 
more  than  a  momentary  illusion,  a  flattering  dream, 
the  awaking  from  which  may  be  terrible,  will  not  be 
readily  denied  by  any  ;  and  him  who  should,  who 
imagines  that  he  does  not  need  the  righteousness 
procured  by  Jesus,  we  leave  to  enjoy  his  sad  mis- 
conception,  but  in  his  supposed   rest    of  soul    we 
desire  not  to  share.     Yet  this  full  persuasion  of  for- 
giveness, if  it  were  not  accompanied  by  sanctifica- 
tion,  if  it  were  not,  through  faith,  the    source  of 
sanctification, — what  must  become  of  Christian  so- 
ciety?    Redeemed  ones  without  thankfulness,  ben- 
eficiaries   without   love,  children    of   God    without 
obedience,  vice  encouraged  by  impunity  ;  and  here- 
after, instead  of  a  Church  without  spot  or  wrinkle, 
a  heaven  peopled  with  unclean  sinners.       Wisdom, 
righteousness,  sanctification;  no,    not  one   of  them 
can  be  dispensed  with  !     He  who  would  break  this 
beautiful  bond  would    be  guilty  of  laying  sacrile- 
gious hands  on  that  which  God  hath  joined  together. 
Oh  how  happy  he  to  whom  Jesus  is  made  all  this 


236  SERMONS. 

of  God  !  He  walks  in  the  light  of  the  Lord,  in 
familiarity  with  his  Heavenly  Father,  whom  to 
know,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  he  has  sent,  is  to 
him  eternal  life.  Humbly  relying  on  the  grace 
which  has  pitied  him,  a  sinner  exposed  to  death,  he 
advances  with  uplifted  head  towards  eternity  and 
that  heaven  for  an  abode  in  which  he  here  pre- 
pares himself  by  faith,  by  pleasing  God,  and  by 
being  a  blessing  to  society.  Surely,  he  needs 
nothing  more  for  his  perfection  and  blessedness ; 
surely  redemption,  eternal  emancipation,  has  be- 
come his  portion  ! 

III.  For  so  great  manifestations  of  favor  we  owe 
gratitude  to  God,  and  to  this  I  would  now  in  con- 
clusion incite  you. 

Of  him,  says  the  Apostle,  are  ye  in  Christ  Jesus  ; 
and  indeed  no  one  but  God  has  devised  and  ex- 
hibited this  salvation.  Such  a  way  of  deliverance 
as  has  been  opened  in  Jesus  Christ  never  entered 
into  the  thoughts  of  any  mortal ;  only  from  the 
revelation  of  God  do  we  know  his  eternal  plan  to 
save  sinning  mankind.  Such  a  way  of  deliverance, 
in  which  the  supplying  of  all  our  wants  of  mind, 
heart,  and  conscience,  flows  together  as  to  one  centre, 
fell  not  within  the  reach  of  a  human  intellect,  and 
transcends  even  the  boldest  wishes  that  one  could 
ever  have  entertained.  Thanks  be  rendered  then 
to  Him,  our  Father  in  heaven,  who  devised  it,  who 
ordained  it,  who  made  it  known  to  us,  who  gave 
his  only  begotten  Son  to  make  us  partakers  of  it ! 

And  what  shall  we  render  him  for  it?  What 
other  thanks,  than  that  which  alone  and  above  all 


SERMONS.  237 

others  he  demands  for  all  his  benefits  ?  that  we, 
conformably  to  his  design,  make  use  of  it ;  that  we 
strive,  as  Paul  terms  it,  to  be  in  Christ  Jesus.  And 
do  you  know,  do  you  feel,  my  hearers,  what  this 
involves  ?  To  be  admitted  into  his  Church,  to  be 
confessors  of  his  name,  to  listen  to  the  instruction 
of  his  Word,  and  to  assist  at  the  table  of  his  cove- 
nant in  proclaiming  his  death  ?  All  this,  most  cer- 
tainly ;  and  unhappy  he  who  sets  no  value  on  these 
outward  proofs  that  we  acknowledge  Jesus  as  our 
Lord,  or  arbitrarily  dispenses  with  them.  But  un- 
happy also  he  who  contents  himself  with  these, 
and  thinks  that  hereby  he  has  already  entered  into 
that  intimate  fellowship  with  Jesus  which  the 
Apostle  here  intends  by  his  forcible  expression. 
No  ;  cordial  interest,  joy  in  God,  surrender  of  the 
soul,  and  readiness  to  contend  against  sin,  and  as 
the  redeemed  of  the  Lord,  constrained  by  gratitude 
and  love,  to  walk  in  a  manner  pleasing  to  God,  —  is 
this  mind  in  you,  my  beloved,  then  are  you  in 
Christ  Jesus,  and  then  has  he  also  been  made  for 
you  all  that  you  need  for  the  illumination  of  the 
mind,  for  peace  of  conscience,  for  purification  of 
the  soul,  for  your  happiness  for  time  and  eternity. 

Does  this  lot  seem  desirable  to  you  ?  and  oh  that 
the  desires  of  all  might  be  directed  towards  it ! 
Permit  me,  then,  once  more  to  direct  your  attention 
to  the  nature  and  value  of  those  blessings  which 
Jesus  has  procured  for  us,  as  he  has  been  made  to 
us  of  God  wisdom,  righteousness,  and  sanctification. 

Wisdom,  enlightening  of  the  mind  by  the  knowl- 
edge of  the   gospel.     Human  sciences   should  not 


238  SERMONS. 

be  lightly  esteemed  by  us  ;  they  enrich  and  adorn 
the  mind,  and  contribute  much  that  is  pleasant  and 
useful  to  public  and  social  life.  But  they  are  not 
accessible  to  all,  and  they  do  not  satisfy  all  the 
demands  of  the  heart  needing  happiness.  Knowl- 
edge of  God,  in  all  his  adorable  greatness,  in  all  his 
condescending  goodness,  in  all  that  he  can  be  and 
will  be  for  men,  for  sinners  ;  yea,  by  these  things 
do  we  live,  and  in  all  these  is  the  life  of  our  spirit ! 
Let  us  rejoice  that  we  may  derive  this  knowledge 
from  the  only  pure  source,  the  Word  of  God  and 
the  revelation  of  the  gospel ;  that  we  are  no  longer 
shackled  by  the  fetters  of  human  authority,  but 
may  ascertain  for  ourselves  what  is  the  good  and 
acceptable  will  of  God.  Let  this,  therefore,  be  our 
delightful  and  favorite  employment  ;  let  this  be  the 
genuine  evidence  of  our  gratitude  to  God,  that 
Jesus  is  of  him  made  unto  us  wisdom. 

Let  then  also  his  righteousness,  the  forgiveness  of 
sin  procured  by  him,  procured  by  the  oblation  of 
his  obedience  unto  death,  be  the  only  ground  of  the 
confidence,  of  the  undisturbed  peace  of  conscience, 
with  which  we  await  the  acquittal  of  the  heavenly 
Judge  ;  with  rejection  of  all  personal  worthiness, 
of  foolish  or  superstitious  penances,  in  humble 
dependence  on  God's  grace  in  Christ.  We  are 
now  again  expecting  to  meditate  in  our  religious 
meetings  on  the  sufferings  of  this  only  Redeemer, 
and  what  it  cost  him  to  interpose  in  our  behalf,  and 
to  make  atonement  for  our  sins  by  his  blood.  May 
the  image  of  him  in  his  deep  humiliation  be  by 
this  means  revived  in  our  memory  and  deeply  im- 


SERMONS.  239 

printed  on  our  hearts;  and  may  our  silent  grief, 
and  the  sense  of  our  great  obligations  to  the  Pre- 
server of  our  souls,  as  we  again  transport  ourselves 
to  the  sad  and  painful  hours  of  his  sufferings,  be  the 
pledge  of  our  gratitude  to  God,  that  he  of  him  has 
been  made  unto  us  righteousness ! 

Then,  my  hearers,  then  will  he  also  be  to  us 
sanctification.  As  we  see  him  wrestling  in  Geth- 
semane,  see  him  reviled  and  abused  before  the  san- 
guinary council  of  the  Jews,  and  see  him  die  on 
Golgotha  ;  oh,  as  then  hatred  against  sin  rises  in 
us,  and  faith  says  to  us :  For  me  also  has  he  en- 
dured all  this  !  whose  heart  is  so  cold  as  not  by  such 
scenes  to  be  inflamed  with  love,  and  to  swear  at  the 
foot  of  his  cross  to  live  for  him  who  died  for  us  ? 
Oh,  that  this  disposition  might  be  produced,  or 
more  and  more  excited,  and  more  and  more  deeply 
rooted  in  us  all,  by  the  renewed  preaching  of  Jesus' 
sufferings  !  Thus  would  he  also  have  become  to  us 
redemption  ;  thus  should  we  belong  to  those  elect  of 
Grod,  against  whom  no  accusation  can  be  brought; 
and  our  gratitude  to  Him  of  whom  we  are  in  Christ 
Jesus,  begun  here  below,  will  be  there  completed, 
where  we  shall  behold  him  in  glory !     Amen. 


240  SERMONS. 


SERMON  IV. 

NECESSITY  OF  DIVINE  GRACE  TO  CHANGE 
THE  HEART. 

No  man  can  come  to  me,  except  the  Father  which  hath  sent  me 
draw  him.  —  John  vi.  44. 

To  us  weak,  dependent  mortals,  no  truth  is  more 
comforting  and  encouraging  than  this,  that  our  lot 
is  in  the  hands  of  the  wise  and  merciful  God. 
With  the  conviction  of  this  we  bear  patiently  ca- 
lamity and  injury,  because  we  know  that  they  are 
allotted  us  by  the  hand  of  a  Father.  With  the 
conviction  of  this  the  enjoyment  of  prosperity  is 
doubly  sweet  to  us,  for  we  know  that  a  paternal 
hand  has  extended  to  us  the  cup  of  joy.  With  the 
conviction  of  this  our  prospect  of  the  future  is  clear 
and  ample,  for  we  know  that  nothing  can  come 
upon  us  but  what  the  will  of  a  Father  has  ap- 
pointed us.  But  under  no  other  aspect  is  this  truth 
exhibited  in  such  a  gladdening  and  transporting 
light,  as  that  in  which  it  gives  us  the  assurance 
that  we  can  desire  nothing  that  pertains  to  our  real 
happiness,  from  that  fatherly  hand  and  that  fatherly 
will,  which  we  shall  not  certainly,  certainly  receive  ! 
Our  foolish  and  inconsiderate  wishes  for  earthly 
blessing,  for  gratification  of  the  senses  and  accom- 
plishment of  our  earthly  plans,  may  for  our  good 


SERMONS.  241 

be  thousands  and  thousands  of  times  frustrated ; 
but  what  we  may  need,  to  be  faithful  to  our  duty 
here  below,  to  fulfil  our  great  destination,  to  be- 
come capable  of  the  blessedness  of  heaven,  if  we 
desire  it  of  our  heavenly  Father,  it  shall  be  given 
us  by  him,  who  giveth  liberally  and  possesses 
superabundance  of  gifts.  And  when  this  doctrine 
is  revealed  to  us  in  the  gospel,  when  it  is  there 
exhibited  to  us  in  this  light,  when  we  hear  from 
the  lips  of  Jesus  and  his  Apostles  that  all  the 
good  that  is  in  us  is  a  gift  of  divine  love  by  the 
working  of  his  Spirit,  then  will  we  certainly  not 
inquire  whether  we  may  not  be  able  to  dispense 
even  with  this  divine  grace,  and  this  working  of  his 
Spirit ;  whether  we  may  not,  with  the  employment 
of  all  our  own  powers,  be  sufficient  to  ourselves,  and 
have  need  of  no  higher  light  than  the  torch  of  our 
own  reason  and  knowledge.  No !  rather  will  we 
cheerfully  resign  the  improvement,  the  purification, 
the  renovation  of  our  hearts  to  Him  to  whom  this 
work  is  infinitely  better  intrusted  than  to  us. 
Rather  will  we,  where  the  eternal  Source  of  truth 
and  blessedness  flows  for  us,  be  watered  from  it, 
than  from  the  scanty  rills  of  our  finiteness  and 
weakness.  Thus  shall  we  see  the  heaviest  burden 
removed  from  our  shoulders  by  our  God  himself, 
and,  glorying  in  our  lot,  call  to  one  another  :  Come, 
let  us  work  out  our  salvation  with  fear  and  trem- 
bling ;  for  it  is  God  that  ivorketh  in  us  both  to  will 
and  to  do  of  his  good  pleasure. 

To  excite  you  to  such  sentiments,  my  hearers, 
have  I  selected  the  words  of  my  text,  with  the  in- 
tention,— 

16 


242  SERMONS. 

I.  After  having  previously  unfolded  and  eluci- 
dated them,  — 

II.  To  preach  to  you,  in  its  true  and  comforting 
light,  the  doctrine  of  the  necessity  of  the  coopera- 
tion of  divine  grace,  for  the  illumination  and  reno- 
vation of  our  hearts. 

Bless  to  this  end  our  meditation,  heavenly  Father, 
who  hast  sent  thy  Son  into  the  world  to  seek  and 
to  save  that  which  was  lost.  Draw  us  to  him  bv 
thy  divine  power,  that  we  may  here  below  spread 
abroad  thine  and  his  honor  with  words  and  deeds  ; 
and  raised  up  by  him  at  the  last  day,  may  there- 
after praise  and  glorify  thee  forever.     Amen. 

I.  When  we  view  the  words  read  in  their  connec- 
tion, we  perceive  that  they  contain  the  explanation 
of  a  phenomenon  which  is  spoken  of  in  what  pre- 
cedes. Jesus,  complaining  of  the  unbelief  of  the 
Jews,  notwithstanding  the  great  and  incontestable 
miracles  that  he  performed,  had  deemed  it  advisa- 
ble to  reveal  clearly  to  the  multitude  the  exalted 
nature  of  his  descent  and  mission.  He  says  of 
himself  that  he  came  down  from  heaven ;  he  de- 
nominates those  who  believe  in  him,  his  property, 
given  him  by  the  Father,  and  promises  them  eter- 
nal life ;  promises  them  that  he  ivill  raise  them  up 
at  the  last  day.  You  read  this  principally  in  the 
thirty-eighth  and  two  following  verses.  Upon  this 
the  Jews  begin  to  mutter  and  murmur  among 
themselves,  saying :  Is  not  this  Jesus,  the  son  of 
Joseph,  whose  father  and  mother  we  know  ?  how  is  it 
then  that  he  saith,  I  came  down  from  heaven  f 
Jesus,  knowing  their  thoughts  and  their  secret  con- 


SERMONS.  243 

versations,  answers  them:  Murmur  not  among 
yourselves.  No  man  can  come  to  me,  except  the 
Father  which  hath  sent  me  draw  him.  In  like 
manner  we  hear  him,  in  the  sequel  of  this  chapter, 
reassert  his  heavenly  descent,  the  saving  power 
of  his  mission  and  doctrine,  in  sublime  but  em- 
blematic terms ;  and  as  his  hearers  began  again  to 
murmur  at  these  things,  and  to  say,  as  we  read  in 
the  sixtieth  verse,  This  is  a  hard  saying,  who  can 
hear  it  ?  he  says,  after  some  further  preliminary  re- 
marks, in  the  sixty-fifth  verse  again  :  Therefore  said 
I  unto  you,  that  no  man  can  come  unto  me,  except  it 
were  given  unto  him  of  my  Father.  And  the  effect 
of  this  was,  that  many  of  those  hearers  and  disci- 
ples forsook  him,  and  walked  no  more  with  him. 
Hence  you  see,  my  hearers,  that  we  cannot  give  to 
these  words,  come  to  Jesus,  and  be  draivn  by  the 
Father,  an  arbitrary  sense,  nor  one  equally  feeble 
and  general,  as  if  they  had  been  uttered  by  Jesus 
on  an  indifferent  or  on  every  occasion.  Let  us 
endeavor  in  this  to  discharge  the  duty  of  impar- 
tiality, and  of  sound  biblical  interpretation,  and  let 
us  consider  each  of  these  phrases  separately. 

No  man  can  come  to  me,  —  how  ?  there  came 
to  Jesus  daily  thousands  of  hearers  and  pupils. 
Through  no  city,  no  village  or  borough  did  he  pass, 
but  all  ran  out  to  him  ;  men  forgot  their  calling  and 
employments,  to  meet  with  this  singular  man  ;  the 
concourse  was  often  so  great  that  one  could  not 
get  near  him  ;  and  they  thought  themselves  fortu- 
nate to  be  able  to  press  so  far  through  the  multi- 
tude as  to  be  able  to  see  or  hear  him.     None  of 


244  SERMONS. 

you  will  suppose  that  all  these  were  drawn  by  the 
Father  to  Jesus ;  and  that  this  therefore  is  what  is 
here  denominated  by  Jesus  a  coming  to  him.  Let 
us  distinguish  this  great  company  into  certain 
classes,  that  we  may  know  which  is  here  intended 
by  the  Saviour,  when  he  speaks  of  coming  to  him. 

With  some  it  was  curiosity  alone  which  incited 
them  to  help  enlarge  the  number  of  Jesus'  fol- 
lowers. The  Prophet  of  Nazareth  was  the  subject 
of  all  conversations,  above  all  in  the  region  of 
Galilee,  where  he  now  abode.  As  the  multitude 
hasten  to  see  a  strange  sight,  so  men  rushed,  to  be 
also  able  to  say,  I  have  seen  and  heard  him  who 
creates  such  a  sensation,  causes  so  much  talk  about 
himself.  But  the  natural  consequence  of  this  was, 
that,  having  satisfied  their  curiosity,  they  again  left 
him  ;  the  one  with  public  eulogy  on  what  he  had 
seen  or  heard,  the  other  not  dissembling  that  he  had 
expected  something  else.  It  was  certainly  not  these 
whose  coming  to  Jesus  was  intended  by  him,  but 
such  as  came  to  him  to  remain  with  him. 

There  were  then  also  others  who  sought  to  de- 
rive a  more  real  advantage  from  his  intercourse 
and  instruction.  They  left  not  his  side  for  a  con- 
siderable time,  but  followed  him  as  belonging  to 
his  school,  and,  as  it  is  here  and  elsewhere  denomi- 
nated, they  ivalked  with  him.  But  this  lasted  only 
till  they  were  offended  at  his  words.  When  they 
heard  him  advance  ideas  conflicting  with  their 
notions  of  the  Messiah's  kingdom,  or  which  they 
could  not  reconcile  with  what  they  thought  they 
knew  of  his  person  and  descent;  when  they  saw 


SERMONS.  245 

their  old  prejudices  assailed,  or  wholly  different  pros- 
pects opened  to  them  than  they  had  expected  or 
hoped,  then  they  said,  This  is  a  hard  saying ;  who 
can  hear  it?  And  gradually  they  were  seen,  one 
sooner,  another  later,  disappearing  from  the  suite  of 
Jesus.  That  these  also  were  not  intended  by  him 
the  connection  itself  of  our  text  may  teach  us  ;  for 
it  is  these  of  whom  he  says,  that  they  could  not 
come  to  him,  because  they  were  not  drawn  by  the 
Father. 

In  nearly  the  same  class  we  must  place  a  third 
sort,  who  might  perhaps  have  allowed  themselves  to 
be  pleased  with  the  doctrine  and  prospects  exhib- 
ited to  them  by  Jesus,  but  who,  at  the  bare  mention 
of  the  sacrifices  which  he  required  of  them,  present- 
ly drew  back,  and  would  not  on  those  terms  remain 
his  disciples.  He  required  some  to  relinquish  their 
property,  others  their  calling  and  relations,  others 
to  leave  father  and  mother  and  kindred  to  follow 
him.  And  when  they,  disinclined  to  comply  with 
that  demand,  went  away  either  grieved  or  indig- 
nant, they  certainly  also  showed  that  they  had  only 
in  appearance  belonged  to  the  genuine  disciples  of 
Jesus. 

In  the  sense,  therefore,  in  which  Jesus  here  makes 
mention  of  coming  to  him,  we  can  apply  this  saying 
only  to  those  who  steadfastly  adhered  to  him,  with- 
out deserting  him ;  who,  neither  offended  at  his 
doctrine  nor  deterred  by  his  exactions,  were  and 
continued  faithful  to  him  ;  whose  heart  was  attached 
to  him  with  inward  love  and  veneration,  and  who 
were   ready  to   sacrifice  whatever   was   dearest  to 


246  SERMONS. 

them  for  the  promise  of  his  heavenly  kingdom.  Try 
it,  whether  you  can  give  a  weaker  sense  than  this 
to  the  words  of  Jesus,  and  you  will  find  that  no 
other,  I  will  not  say  satisfies  the  comprehensiveness 
and  emphasis  of  the  phrase,  but  answers  to  what 
the  Saviour  can  have  intended,  when  he  at  this 
moment  and  at  this  point  in  the  argument  said  to 
these  men :  No  man  can  come  to  me. 

The  second  phrase  which  we  must  explain  is 
this  :  except  the  Father  which  hath  sent  me  draw 
him.  You  see  that  the  expression  is  figurative ; 
so  was  also  the  first,  coming  to  Jesus,  and  to  this 
the  second  very  justly  and  accurately  corresponds. 
Drawing  supposes  a  certain  constraint.  Him  who 
cannot  come,  we  carry ;  him  who  will  not  come, 
or  at  least  of  himself  would  not  come,  we  draw. 
It  speaks  however  for  itself,  that  we  must  explain 
this  drawing,  this  constraint,  in  a  sound  sense,  so 
as  rational  creatures,  possessed  of  free  agency,  can 
be  draivn,  constrained,  to  do  or  to  omit  what  is 
properly  left  to  their  own  choice.  This  constraint 
is  that  of  persuasion  ;  and  that  Jesus  would  not  be 
otherwise  understood,  appears  from  the  explanation 
which  he  gives  himself,  at  the  close  of  the  follow- 
ing verse :  Every  man  therefore  that  hath  heard,  and 
hath  learned  of  the  Father,  cometh  unto  one.  To  this 
corresponds  also,  what  we  have  already  adduced 
from  the  sixty-fifth  verse,  where  Jesus  exchanges 
his  declaration,  except  the  Father  ivhich  hath  sent 
me  draw  him,  for  this  homogeneous  expression,  ex- 
cept it  were  given  unto  him  of  my  Father. 

And  what  apprehension  must  we  have  of  this 


SERMONS.  247 

divine  persuasion,  without  which  no  man  can,  in  the 
sense  here  intended  by  Jesus,  come  to  him.  Come, 
let  us  again  cast  our  eye  on  those  to  whom  Jesus 
here  spoke,  that  we  may  judge  whether  we  must 
give  his  words  a  general  or  determinate,  a  weak  or 
strong  sense. 

Jesus  spoke  to  men  who  had  and  read  the 
writings  of  Moses  and  the  prophets,  and  to  whom, 
therefore,  the  needed  light  of  revelation  was  not 
wanting,  to  recognize  him  in  his  Messianic  worth. 
He  spoke  to  men  among  whom  John  the  Baptist 
had  preached ;  to  whom  this  zealous  preacher  of 
repentance  had,  in  words  full  of  strength  and  fire, 
exhibited  the  spiritual  nature  and  the  spiritual 
privileges  of  Messiah's  kingdom.  He  spoke  to  men 
whom  he  had  himself  taught  and  instructed ;  he, 
the  mouth  of  truth,  preaching  as  none  could  preach  ; 
speaking  as  no  man  had  ever  yet  spoken  ;  confirm- 
ing his  doctrine  by  signs  of  the  most  indubitable 
divine  authority,  of  which  they  had  only  the  day 
before  been  themselves  witnesses,  when  with  a  few 
loaves  and  fishes  he  had  satisfied  a  company  of 
thousands.  And  when  these  men,  notwithstanding 
all  that  power  of  the  doctrine,  and  all  that  evidence 
of  the  signs,  will  not  believe  in  him,  call  in  question 
his  heavenly  descent,  and  are  offended  at  the  sub- 
limity of  his  testimony,  then  he  accounts  for  this 
incredible  phenomenon  by  saying  that  they  came 
not  to  him,  because  they  were  not  draivn  by  the 
Father,  What  then,  I  pray,  can  this  higher  per- 
suasion of  the  Father  be?  It  consists  not  in  the 
gift  of  the  divine  revelation,  or  all  who  now  heard 


248  SERMONS. 

Jesus  were  drawn  by  the  Father.      It  consists  no' 
in  the  preaching  of  the  word  of  the  kingdom,  for 
who  of  all  that  were  present  at  this  utterance  was 
excluded    from    it  ?     It  was  not  comprehended  in 
the  preaching  of  the  greatest  Teacher  of  righteous- 
ness that  was  ever  sent  to  mankind.      What,  then, 
is  this  efficacious  divine  persuasion  ?    What  else  can 
it  be,  than  the  bestowment  of  the  capacity  to  feel 
all  the  force   of  that  word  of  revelation,  of  that 
preaching  of  the  messengers  of  salvation  ?    A  power, 
an  influence,  a  rational  violence,  exercised  on  our 
souls  to  overcome  all  resistance,  to  remove  all  diffi- 
culties, and  to    make  the   greatest   sacrifices    seem 
insignificant  in  comparison  with    the  good  that  is 
promised  us !     A  heavenly  light  in  our  hearts,  be- 
fore which  the  illusion  of  our  senses  vanishes,  and 
all  that  pertains  to  our  destination  and  our  blessed- 
ness is  exhibited  to  us  in  a  clear   and   unclouded 
day  !     By  which  we  accept  all  that  we  know  to  be 
of  God !     By  which  we  take  upon  us  what  with- 
out   God  we  should  not  be  able  to  perform  !     A 
special,  exclusive  favor ;  but  which,  because  it  is  a 
favor  from  God,  can  by  none  be  in  vain  desired  ! 
Of  the  want  of  which  no  one  can  complain,  because 
it  is  withheld  from  none  but  him  by  whom  it  is 
despised  !     Pardon  me,  my  hearers,  that  I  cannot 
here  speak  with  greater  clearness  and  definiteness ; 
for  we  wander  here  in  the  secrets  of  human  nature, 
in  the    enigmas  of  the    human    heart  and  under- 
standing.       Penetrate    these    enigmas   we   cannot, 
even  though  we   should  by  philosophical  bombast 
assume  the  appearance    of  it ;  we    shall,   perhaps, 


SERMONS.  249 

in  the  sequel  of  this  discourse  learn  to  know  some- 
thing more  of  their  nature  and  impenetrability. 

It  is  sufficient  for  me  at  present,  if  I  have  been 
able,  from  the  words  of  Jesus,  to  make  vou  feel  the 
necessity  of  the  cooperation  of  olivine  grace  for  the 
illumination  and  renovation  of  our  hearts ;  or,  to 
adopt  the  words  of  Jesus,  the  necessity  of  being 
persuaded  and  drawn  hy  God,  if  we  shall,  in  the 
true  sense  of  these  words,  come  to  Jesus. 

II.  To  announce  the  truth  and  consolatory 
nature  of  this  doctrine  was  what  I  had  proposed 
to  myself  in  the  second  part  of  my  discourse. 

The  truth  of  this  doctrine  !  But  think  not,  how- 
ever, that  I  have  appeared  in  this  place  to  discuss  a 
disputed  article  of  faith,  or  to  entertain  you  with 
barren  speculation.  If  the  doctrine  which  I  would 
unfold  to  you  could  not  be  placed  in  such  a  light 
that  it,  far  from  kindling  the  fire  of  discord  among 
brethren,  should  gloriously  manifest  its  influence  on 
human  virtue  and  happiness,  I  should  certainly  have 
spared  you  from  its  consideration.  Hear  me,  then, 
with  indulgence  and  an  unbiased  judgment,  whilst 
I  dwell  for  a  few  moments  on  the  necessity  of 
divine  grace  for  the  persuasion  of  our  hearts,  and 
the  mode  of  its  operation. 

The  representation  of  Jesus  in  this  passage  is 
wholly  in  the  style,  the  tone,  and  manner  of  the 
biblical  revelation.  In  it  all  the  good  that  we 
possess  is  regarded  as  a  gift  from  God  ;  not  onlv 
that  which  comes  to  us  from  without,  but  also  that 
which  to  outward  appearance  is  due  only  to  our- 
selves.    Has  any  one  by  application  and  industry 


250  SERMONS. 

become  prosperous,  it  is  God  who  has  blessed  his 
zeal,  and  granted  him  prosperity.  It  is  the  Spirit 
of  Jehovah  who  dwelt  in  Bezaleel  and  Aholiab, 
when  they  skilfully  prepared  the  furniture  of  the 
tabernacle.  When  Solomon  strives  for  prudence 
and  conduct  to  govern  intelligently  and  justly  the 
kino-dom  of  his  father,  then  he  desires  that  wisdom 
of  God.  And  when  the  prophets  predict  to  their 
people  a  time  in  which  they  shall,  by  the  observ- 
ance of  Jehovah's  commands,  efface  their  former 
unfaithfulness,  then  they  say,  that  God  shall  write 
his  law  on  their  hearts,  that  they  shall  all  be  taught 
of  the  Lord. 

And  this  representation,  so  simple  and  childlike, 
how  does  it  harmonize  with  our  inward  sense  of  de- 
pendence, and  with  the  extended  jurisdiction  which 
God  exercises  over  his  creatures.  Behold  him  to 
whom  God  has  given  treasures  and  abundance,  but 
he  has  not  with  them  given  him  precious  health. 
Behold  him  to  whom  with  his  wealth  vigorous 
bodily  powers  are  not  wanting,  but  he  lacks  a  heart 
to  enjoy,  to  employ  his  earthly  blessing  for  the  ad- 
vantage of  himself  and  others.  And  he  who  has 
received  both  wealth  and  health,  and  a  heart  formed 
for  enjoyment,  should  he  not  for  all  these  gifts  as 
much,  and  for  one  of  them  not  less  than  for  the 
others,  owe  gratitude  to  God  ?  Or  should  the  last, 
the  capacity  for  enjoyment,  certainly  the  greatest  of 
them  all,  be  due  to  himself  alone  ?  The  gospel  is 
the  most  precious  of  the  gifts  and  bestowments  of 
divine  Providence ;  yet  how  many  are  destitute  of 
it ;  and  they  who  possess  it,  from  whom  have  they 


SERMONS.  251 

received  this  possession  ?  How  many  who  possess 
it  reject  it  with  contempt !  And  they  who  esteem 
and  respect  it,  from  whom  have  they  received  that 
esteem  and  respect  for  it  ?  How  many  who  esteem 
and  respect  it,  and  yet  experience  not  its  entire 
saving  influence  on  their  heart  and  their  life  !  And 
they  to  whom  this  greatest  happiness,  of  which  we 
mortals  are  capable,  has  been  allotted,  should  they 
therein  recognize  no  gift  of  God,  no  effect  of  his 
love,  but  owe  the  thanks  for  it  to  themselves  alone  ? 
Oh,  ask  them,  and  who  but  they  are  competent  to 
answer  this  question?  Ask  them  whose  heart  is 
enlightened,  purified,  and  blessed  by  the  revelation 
of  the  gospel,  and  you  will  hear  their  lips  over- 
flow with  gratitude,  and  with  the  praise  of  their 
merciful  heavenly  Father,  who  has  given  unto  them 
the  spirit  of  ivisdom  and  revelation  in  the  knowledge 
of  him,  namely,  enlightened  eyes  of  the  under- 
standing. 

In  this  manner,  my  hearers,  is  the  doctrine  of 
divine  grace  interwoven  and  most  intimately  blend- 
ed with  the  whole  idea  of  our  human  relation  to  the 
high  and  holy  and  gracious  Supreme  Being.  In 
this  light  is  it  exhibited  to  us  by  the  writers  of  the 
invaluable  Bible.  Not  to  introduce  vain  disputes 
respecting  man's  ability  or  inability ;  but  from  our 
grateful  feeling  for  all  the  benefits  that  we  receive 
from  our  supreme  Benefactor  not  to  exclude  this 
eminent  benefit,  that  we  believe  in  Christ.  To 
cause  us  with  delight  and  courage  to  undertake  the 
work  of  our  improvement  and  sanctification,  know- 
ing  from  what  a  source  we   can   draw   help   and 


252  SERMONS. 

strength.  To  cause  our  prayers  and  thanksgiving 
for  all  our  spiritual  blessings  to  ascend  continually 
to  the  Father  of  lights,  from  whom  alone  all  good 
and  perfect  gifts  descend  in  rich  profusion. 

But  you  desire  that  I  should  speak  to  you  more 
definitely  on  this  necessity  of  a  higher,  divine  per- 
suasion, and  in  doing  so  to  take  into  view  our 
natural  and  moral  constitution  ;  and  I  feel  that  I, 
though  hesitating,  like  one  who  is  about  to  enter  a 
dark  labyrinth,  must,  yet  with  moderation,  satisfy 
your  desire. 

We  are  rational  creatures.  This  truth  stands 
like  a  beacon,  of  which  we  must  never  lose  sight 
on  the  sea  of  this  hazardous  investigation.  It  is 
our  glory  and  the  glory  of  our  Maker ;  and  what  is 
conflicting  with  it  we  reject,  as  unworthy  of  him 
and  of  us. 

We  are,  as  rational  creatures,  capable  of  con- 
viction. We  feel  the  force  of  motives,  which  are 
presented  to  us,  to  bend  our  will,  whether  these 
motives  are  derived  from  our  sense  of  truth,  or  of 
propriety,  or  of  well  -  comprehended  self-  interest. 
We  hear  and  apprehend  them,  and  allow  ourselves 
to  be  persuaded  by  them ;  to  choose  that  which  we 
first  rejected,  to  approve  what  we  first  condemned, 
to  do  what  we  formerly  omitted,  and  to  omit  what 
we  formerly  did.  This  is  our  rationality  !  This  is 
our  freedom  ! 

The  gospel  of  Christ  is  rich  in  such  motives,  for 
the  bending  of  our  will ;  yea,  where  do  we  find 
motives  that  can  be  compared  to  these  ?  Do  we 
consult  our  sense  of  truth,  here  eternal  Truth  it- 


SERMONS.  253 

self  speaks !  Do  we  consult  our  moral  sense,  here 
speaks  the  source  of  all  that  is  holy  and  good  !  Do 
we  consult  our  self-interest,  here  we  are  urged  by 
hope  and  by  fear  both,  by  promises  and  by  threat- 
enings  ;  here  is  presented  to  us  for  transient,  imper- 
ishable good,  for  temporal,  eternal  weal  or  woe. 
Here  we  hear  the  terror  of  the  Lord  warn  us,  the 
love  of  the  All  -  merciful  invite  us  !  Here  every- 
thing is  united  to  reach  our  heart,  to  move  and  to 
melt  our  heart.  And  if  the  motives  of  this  gospel 
exerted  no  power  over  us,  then  should  we  possess 
no  rational  nature. 

Who  is  there,  also,  that  knows  this  gospel  and 
hears  the  preaching  of  it,  who  has  not  by  means 
of  it  felt  a  salutary  emotion  arise  within,  and  been 
penetrated  with  the  necessity  of  devoting  himself 
wholly  to  that  gospel  ?  Never  were  seen  such  • 
striking  effects  of  it  as  when  Jesus  went  about  on 
this  earth,  and  announced  the  doctrine  of  the  king- 
dom with  all-captivating  persuasion.  Then  thou- 
sands were  seen  who  hung  upon  his  lips.  Here 
was  heard,  Is  not  this  truly  the  Prophet  ?  Yonder 
the  exclamation,  Never  man  spake  like  this  man ! 
There  it  was  eagerly  asked,  What  must  I  do  to 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ?  Innumerable 
trophies  were  daily  erected,  which  confirmed,  to 
the  honor  of  man's  rationality,  the  persuasive  force 
of  the  doctrine,  and  the  convincing  power  of  the 
Teacher. 

But  of  these  thousands,  how  few  remained  faith- 
ful to  Jesus.  How  many,  who  returned  to  their 
homes  and  forgot  his  word.      How  many,  who  at 


254  SERMONS. 

first  heard  him  with  applause,  and  were  afterwards 
offended  at  him.  And  what  was  it  but  this  phe- 
nomenon that  made  him  say :  No  man  can  come  to 
me,  except  the  Father  tvhich  hath  sent  me  draw  him  ; 
which  made  him  denominate  the  small  company  of 
those  who  remained  steadfast  at  his  side,  given  of 
his  Father  ? 

Whence  this  conflict  and  contradiction  of  man 
with  himself,  seeing  and  approving  the  better,  and 
pursuing  the  evil,  though  he  condemns  it  ?  Come, 
let  us  venture  yet  a  single  step  further  into  this 
labyrinth  of  the  human  heart. 

If  the  requisitions  of  the  gospel  were  limited  to 
a  single  act,  to  the  choice  of  a  single  moment,  to  a 
single  costly  sacrifice,  which  left  nothing  more  after 
that  for  us  to  do,  if  we,  rising  up  from  the  hearing 
of  the  word,  could  presently  by  a  single  perform- 
ance have  satisfied  its  demands,  how  many  trophies 
should  we  yet  even  now  see  daily  rising  to  the 
honor  of  evangelical  persuasion  !  More  than  ever 
the  eloquence  of  the  ancient  orators  reared  for 
them,  when  they  caused  a  popular  assembly  to  re- 
solve on  peace  or  war,  or  moulded  at  will  the 
hearts  of  counsellors  and  judges  like  wax. 

But  the  acceptance  of  the  gospel,  the  coming  to 
Jesus  intended  by  him,  concerns  the  choice  for  an 
entire  life.  Not  one,  but  thousands  of  acts  ;  not 
one,  but  thousands  of  sacrifices.  It  concerns  a 
fixed  principle  for  the  regulation  of  our  thoughts 
and  actions ;  a  disposition  of  heart,  which  each  day 
and  each  hour  must  manifest  its  influence,  and  of 
the  sensuous  man  form  a  citizen  of  heaven  here  on 


SERMONS.  255 

earth.  And  now,  the  effect  of  the  doctrine  and 
preaching  of  the  gospel,  judged  of  according  to 
this  standard,  you  can  more  easily  number  its  tro- 
phies, and  you  compare  the  little  flock  of  those 
who  continued  with  Jesus  with  the  numerous 
throng  of  those  who  forsook  him.  Oh,  he  who 
should  be  called  to  preach  the  word  of  Jesus  only 
to  sick-beds  and  death-beds,  how  many  triumphs 
for  the  Christian  faith  would  he  enumerate ;  but 
when  the  pangs  of  the  death-bed  were  recalled, 
how  would  his  imaginary  laurels  wither  ! 

Where  the  choice  of  an  entire  life  is  demanded, 
there  arises  a  conflict  against  which  the  conviction 
of  a  moment  is  not  proof.  Here  it  has  to  struggle 
with  the  forgetfulness  of  the  hearer,  and  with  the 
weakness  of  a  memory  that  retains  only  what  it 
most  desires  to  retain.  Here  it  has  to  struggle 
with  diversion  and  business,  by  which  the  liveliest 
impressions  are  gradually  effaced ;  with  considera- 
tions and  difficulties,  and  evasions  without  number, 
to  which  men  arbitrarily  ascribe  power  and  influ- 
ence. Here  it  has  to  struggle  with  the  ruinous 
spirit  of  procrastination,  by  which  we  would  still  do 
to-day  what  pleases  us,  to  do  to-morrow  what  we 
feel  must  be  done ;  whilst  this  to-day,  also  to-mor- 
row, and  always,  always  remains  to-day,  and  the 
morrow  is  deferred  till  it  is  too  late  ! 

And  whence  proceed,  my  hearers,  this  forgetful- 
ness and  effacing  of  first  impressions,  and  counter- 
considerations,  and  desire  to  procrastinate,  but  from 
this,  that  there  is  still  a  greater  and  mightier  foe 
that  must  first  be  overcome,  before  we   make  an 


256  SERMONS. 

entire  surrender  of  ourselves  to  the  power  of  the 
gospel?  Our  acquired  habits,  customs,  and  mode 
of  life,  our  pleasure  and  taste,  all  stimulate  us  to 
diversion,  to  enjoyment  of  the  present  life,  to  care- 
fulness for  it,  and  carelessness  about  the  future ! 
All  that  resistance  the  word  of  the  gospel  must 
overcome  ;  and,  alas,  it  succumbs  under  all  that  op- 
position ;  it  succumbed  under  it  even  when  Jesus 
preached  !  No,  that  word  lacks  no  force  of  per- 
suasion ;  but  our  heart,  entangled  in  the  wiles  of 
seduction,  of  sensuality,  and  of  carelessness,  lacks 
the  capacity  to  feel  that  persuasive  force  so  deeply 
as  to  enable  it  to  triumph  over  all  obstacles.  And 
so  we  continue,  with  all  our  conviction  of  the  truth, 
still  pursuing  that  which  we  know  to  be  imposition 
and  deceit ;  with  all  our  inward  sense  of  that  which 
is  better  and  more  excellent,  still  cleaving  to  that 
which  is  evil  and  to  be  rejected  ;  —  yea,  with  heav- 
enly good  in  view,  walking  in  the  paths  of  perdi- 
tion ! 

This  is  that  aversion,  that  unwillingness,  that 
offence  at  the  word  of  the  gospel,  which,  were  it 
a  matter  dependent  on  a  single  moment  of  good 
disposition,  might  be  overcome  by  the  force  and 
pressure  of  motives  ;  but  which,  since  it  concerns 
an  entire  change  of  disposition,  life,  and  walk,  drown 
the  voice  of  reason  and  conscience  within  us,  and 
keep  us  at  a  distance  from  Jesus ;  or,  if  we  have 
for  a  time  chosen  the  side  of  Jesus,  presently  bear 
us  away  again  in  the  path  of  seduction,  unless  we 
are  drawn  to  him  by  the  Father. 

And  what   is   that   high,  divine   persuasion   for 


SERMONS.  257 

them  who  are  made  partakers  of  this  benefit? 
What  is  the  manner  of  working  of  that  divine 
irrace  by  which  the  weak  and  seducible  heart  is 
constrained  to  come  to  Jesus,  and  to  remain  with 
Jesus  ?  Respecting  this  also  I  must  speak  to  you  ; 
but  if  with  timidity  and  reluctance  I  have  entered 
with  you  into  the  hiding-places  of  man's  enigmatical 
mind,  with  how  much  profounder  and  more  rev- 
erential awe  must  I  speak  to  you  on  the  hidden 
operations  of  the  eternal  Spirit  on  the  understanding 
and  will  of  his  rational  creatures ;  and  I  must  care- 
fully avoid  attempting  to  fathom  depths  which 
even  the  wisdom  of  angels  cannot  penetrate ! 

Or  should  this  working  be  impossible  ?  Should 
He  whose  breath  animates  all,  who  lives  and  works 
in  all  that  lives  and  is  ;  by  whose  power  not  only 
the  great  wheels  of  creation  are  brought  and  kept 
in  motion,  but  also  the  most  minute  particle  of 
dust  exists  that  floats  in  space  or  flies  up  before 
the  foot  of  the  traveller;  —  should  the  heart  of 
man  alone  be  inaccessible  to  him,  and  what  passes 
there,  what  is  devised  or  cherished,  be  withdrawn 
from  his  control  and  influence  ?  Well,  let  us  con- 
tradict, then,  the  testimony  of  the  sacred  writers, 
and  let  us  pronounce  it  false  when  they  say,  A 
man's  heart  deviseth  his  way  :  but  the  Lord  directeth 
his  steps.  The  king's  heart  is  in  the  hand  of  the  Lord, 
as  the  rivers  of  water  :  he  turneth  it  whithersoever  he 
will.  Let  us  account  for  all  the  phenomena  which 
our  own  reflection  will  point  out  to  us  in  abundance 
in  the  history  of  our  own  heart.  Let  us  exclude 
God  from  the  emotions  of  our  mind,  from  our  re- 

17 


258  SERMONS. 

flections  and  deliberations,  from  so  many  a  thought 
which  as  a  clear  ray  of  wisdom  or  knowledge  has 
penetrated  our  bosom,  though  we  could  not  appre- 
hend its  source.  Let  us  make  our  soul  a  field  in 
which  nothing  grows  save  what  we  have  ourselves 
sowed  in  it.  Alas,  is  it  thus  that  we  shall  main- 
tain the  excellence  of  our  human  nature,  by  cut- 
ting it  off  from  communion  with  the  source  of  light, 
of  wisdom  and  holiness,  and  denying  it  the  enjoy- 
ment of  being  refreshed  and  watered  from  the 
ocean  of  infinite  perfection  itself? 

Yes,  there  is  a  higher  power  of  divine  persua- 
sion, or  a  link  is  wanting  in  the  chain  of  relations 
between  feeble  man  and  the  God  of  love  !  And 
though  we  cannot  investigate  its  working,  we  know 
it  by  its  consequences,  and  enjoy  its  fruits.  Or 
should  we  refuse  to  take  our  necessary  food,  be- 
cause we  know  not  how  it  is  formed  in  the  stalk 
and  ear?  Should  we  refuse  to  move  our  limbs, 
because  we  do  not  know  how  the  working  of  our 
will  brings  the  heavy  mass  into  motion  ?  Let  us 
adore  Him  who  conceals  from  the  eye  of  our  mind 
what  he  reveals  to  the  feeling  of  our  hearts,  and 
requires  us  not  to  trace  him  in  his  footsteps,  but  to 
enjoy  his  gifts,  and  by  means  of  them  to  be  happy. 

Let  us,  however,  remove  from  this  idea  of  divine 
grace,  powerfully  drawing  to  the  fellowship  of 
Jesus,  —  let  us  remove  from  it  all  absurdity,  and  all 
that  can  be  detrimental  to  the  honor  of  the  gospel. 
They  are  no  new  motives,  outside  of  that  only  and 
eternal  Word  of  the  gospel,  by  which  this  higher 
persuasion  is   effected ;   for  there   is  no  power,  no 


SERMONS.  259 

light,  no  good,  which  is  not  included  in  that  gospel ; 
but  it  is  the  influence  of  its  promises  and  prospects, 
of  which  our  hearts  are  made  susceptible,  it  is  the 
acceptance  of  that  gospel,  to  which  we  are  moved 
and  constrained.  Hence  the  emblematic  phrases 
employed,  to  exhibit  this  benefit,  in  the  writings 
of  the  New  Testament.  That  the  seed  of  the  Word 
bear  fruit  in  us,  it  must  fall  in  a  prepared  soil 
adapted  to  receive,  to  cherish,  to  cause  it  to  take 
root  and  ripen.  To  feel  the  influence  of  the  light 
of  truth,  our  eye  must  be  adapted  to  catch  its  rays, 
to  collect  them,  and  to  reflect  its  heavenly  image. 
And  what  can  it  profit  us  that  the  meridian  sun 
shines  clearly  without,  as  long  as  the  obstacle  is  not 
removed  that  hinders  us  from  beholding  its  cherish- 
ing brightness  ? 

Let  us  also  remove  from  this  idea  of  divine  grace, 
powerfully  drawing  to  the  fellowship  of  Jesus,  all 
that  would  be  injurious  to  the  honor  of  our  nature  ; 
all  that  can  be  denominated  compulsion  ;  all  that  is 
mechanical,  and  not  compatible  with  the  disposition 
of  a  mind  that  acknowledges  and  embraces  the 
truth.  Let  us,  then,  not  tarnish  this  heavenly  doc- 
trine by  any  confused  notions  of  enthusiasm,  but 
let  us  acknowledge  in  the  human  heart  the  paternal 
voice  of  a  heavenly  Guide,  who  causes  us  here  to 
take  notice,  there  recalls  to  mind,  yonder  preserves 
what  might  easily  be  lost ;  and  who,  though  he  is 
wanting  in  no  power  to  strike  a  raging  Saul  to  the 
earth,  and  make  him  inquire,  Lord,  what  wilt  thou 
have  me  to  do  f  also  by  gentle,  continued,  constantly 
advancing    and     continually    stronger    conviction, 


260  SERMONS. 

gives  entrance  to  the  gospel  of  his  Son,  and  makes 
the  ways  of  his  adorable  providence  subservient  to 
this  sublime  and  glorious  end. 

The  ways  of  his  providence ;  yes,  my  hearers, 
and  if  we  can  anywhere  investigate  the  operations 
of  his  grace,  it  is  certainly  here.  Or  is  not  the  in- 
fluence of  all  that  we  read  or  hear  dependent,  in 
conformity  with  our  rational  nature,  on  the  state 
of  heart  with  which  we  read  or  hear  it?  And 
is  not  the  state  of  our  hearts  determined  by  the 
concurrence  of  the  circumstances  in  which  we  are 
placed,  and  which  we  sometimes  notice,  but  often, 
perplexed  by  the  multitude  of  daily  vicissitudes, 
overlook  ?  But  they  are  not  lost,  and  each  of  them 
can  leave  deep  traces  in  the  heart.  Here  a  blessing 
falls  to  our  lot,  in  which  we  cannot  overlook  the 
hand  of  our  heavenly  Benefactor  ;  and  at  the  same 
time  we  hear  the  obedience  of  faith  laid  upon  us  as 
a  duty  of  gratitude.  There  a  sharp  arrow  of  pain 
smites  us  ;  but  it  is  that  our  wounded  mind  may  be 
more  susceptible  of  the  balsamic  comfort  of  the  gos- 
pel. Everything  is  torn  from  us  that  we  may  find 
all  in  God.  And  so  the  Almighty  and  All-gracious 
One  can  mould  and  bend  and  form  our  hearts  ;  now 
lift  up,  then  cast  down,  then  make  tender  and  sus- 
ceptible of  ineffaceable  impressions  ;  and  thus  per- 
suade and  draw  us,  as  rational  creatures,  and  yet 
with  irresistible  power,  in  order  that  we  may  come 
to  Jesus,  and  through  Jesus  be  saved. 

The  truth  now  unfolded  I  must  in  the  conclusion 
of  this  discourse  present  to  you  in  its  consolatory 
nature.     And  am  I  mistaken,  my  hearers,  or  have 


SERMONS.  261 

you  already  perceived,  that,  though  it  has  given 
occasion  for  many  useless  subtilties,  yet  it  was  not 
for  such  purpose  revealed ;  not  that  it  might  serve 
as  a  pretext  to  sin  the  more  freely  and  carelessly, 
but  to  wrest  from  us  that  vain  pretext,  even  by  the 
daily  apprehension  of  our  weakness  and  perverse- 
ness ;  to  serve  as  a  support  to  every  genuine  and 
humble  attempt  to  practise  virtue,  and  to  remove  out 
of  the  way  all  obstacles  in  our  pathway  to  heaven  ? 

We  are,  it  is  true,  according  to  this  doctrine,  in 
the  attainment  of  our  highest  destiny,  in  the  ad- 
vancement of  our  highest  happiness,  dependent  on 
God.  But  when  and  wherein  are  we  not  depend- 
ent on  God,  though  our  foolish  imagination  tells 
us  that  we  are  lords  of  our  own  destiny  ?  And  is 
it,  then,  such  a  misfortune  to  be  dependent  on  God  ? 
On  a  Being  whose  wisdom,  power,  and  goodness 
have  no  bounds ;  whose  immaculate  irreprehensi- 
bleness,  whose  majesty  and  glory,  transcend  all  our 
ideas  ?  No !  whoever  may  deem  it  desirable,  with 
the  measure  of  his  powers  and  abilities,  to  be  left 
to  himself  in  this  world,  we  rejoice  that  we  are 
entirely  in  thy  hand,  gracious,  wise,  and  mighty 
heavenly  Father ;  and  that  thou  wilt  not  only 
regulate  all  the  insignificant  events  of  our  earthly 
life,  but  that  thou  wilt  also,  according  to  thine 
own  counsel  and  plan,  and  by  the  working  of  thine 
own  heavenly  power,  conduct  us  to  eternal  blessed- 
ness ! 

But  why  do  I  speak  of  our  dependence  ?  God 
himself  has  been  pleased,  in  the  bestowment  of  the 
greatest  gifts  and  blessings,  to  make  himself  depend- 


262  SERMONS. 

ent  on  us.  To  our  sincere  desire  to  be  saved,  and, 
as  redeemed,  to  live  to  the  honor  of  our  God  and 
Saviour ;  to  our  serious  and  continual  prayer  to  be 
enlightened,  strengthened,  persuaded,  and  drawn, 
God  has  joined  the  workings  of  the  power  of  his 
grace,  the  fulfilling  of  our  desire,  and  the  hearing 
of  our  prayer.  Let  us  then  not  make  the  wisdom 
of  God  foolishness  by  our  speculations.  Even  were 
the  dividing  line  between  human  and  divine  will- 
ing and  working  revealed  to  us  from  heaven,  what 
should  we  then  know  more  and  better  than  we  are 
now  convinced  of,  that  everything  that  is  wanting 
to  us  is  to  be  richly  found  in  God,  and  that  the 
gospel  of  his  Son,  applied  to  the  heart  by  his 
Spirit,  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every 
one  that  believeth  ? 

Do  you  know  a  more  consolatory  doctrine  than 
this,  my  beloved,  by  which  all  difficulties,  scruples, 
doubts,  and  questionings  are  at  once  removed,  and 
nothing  hinders  us  from  undertaking  the  work  of 
our  salvation  with  courage,  prosecuting  it  with 
energy,  and  finishing  it  gloriously  ?  Yes  !  it  is  a 
hazardous  work,  when  we  look  at  ourselves,  and  at 
the  depravity  that  dwells  in  us.  We,  weak,  sensu- 
ous, proud,  and  easily  seduced  creatures,  we  are 
called  by  the  gospel  to  fight  against  fleshly  lust  and 
inclination ;  to  mind  the  things  which  are  above  in 
heaven,  and  not  those  which  are  beneath  on  earth ; 
to  walk  in  lowliness  and  humility,  each  esteeming 
his  brother  more  excellent  than  himself;  to  arm 
ourselves  against  all  temptations  with  the  armor  of 
faith  ;   to   live   temperately,  justly,  unblamably,  to 


SERMONS.  263 

the  honor  of  the  gospel  of  our  confession,  as  those 
who  are  called  to  the  fellowship  of  God  and  his 
Son !  Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things,  and 
whose  heart  does  not  fail  when  he  compares  a 
labor  so  arduous  with  powers  so  mean  ?  But  He 
that  calls  is  faithful,  and  is  able  to  build  us  up  and 
give  us  an  inheritance  among  them  that  are  sancti- 
fied. Why  do  you  then  seek  to  excuse  yourselves, 
ye  unwilling  ones  ?  Why  stand  ye  at  a  distance, 
ye  fearful  ones  ?  Why  has  your  zeal  abated,  ye 
who  once  gave  your  heart  to  Jesus  ?  Cast  away 
those  vain  excuses,  ye  unwilling  ones,  and  be  not 
lost,  whilst  everything  calls  you  to  salvation. 
Take  courage,  ye  fearful  ones,  and  look  not  at 
yourselves,  but  at  the  chief  Shepherd  of  your  souls 
unto  salvation.  Lift  up  the  hands  which  hang 
down,  and  the  feeble  knees,  ye  who  abate  your  zeal, 
as  if  ye  had  left  your  first  love,  and  look  to  the 
Author  and  Finisher  of  your  faith.  And  whoever 
you  may  be  that  hear  me  to-day,  stay  not  away 
and  go  not  back,  whilst  Jesus  invites  you  to  come 
to  him  !  He  points  you  to  the  all-sufficiency  of  his 
heavenly  Father  to  supply  all  your  wants.  Ask  of 
him  and  he  will  not  send  you  empty  away.  He 
will  give  you  his  Spirit  not  with  measure.  He  will 
fill  all  your  treasuries.     Amen. 


264  SERMONS. 


SERMON  V. 
JESUS'  PASSION. 

Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 
John  i.  29. 

The  testimony  respecting  Jesus,  contained  in 
these  words,  is  not  only  remarkable  in  itself,  but 
also  by  reason  of  the  speaker  from  whose  mouth  this 
declaration  proceeded.  It  is  John,  surnamed  the 
Baptist,  a  kinsman  of  Jesus  :  Elizabeth,  his  mother, 
was  a  cousin  of  Mary,  the  mother  of  the  Lord. 
As  soon  as  Mary  had  received  the  divine  annun- 
ciation of  her  impregnation,  she  went  to  visit  Eliz- 
abeth, who  was  in  the  sixth  month  of  her  preg- 
nancy, and  remained  with  her  till  shortly  before  the 
time  that  John  was  born.  Both  mothers  were  in- 
formed of  the  appointment  and  future  destination  of 
their  children  ;  both  rejoiced  in  the  grace  of  God, 
who  had  not  only  by  a  new  relation  bound  them 
more  closely  together,  but  was  also  pleased  to  cause 
the  redemption  of  Israel  to  proceed  from  them.  It 
is  probable  that  John  and  Jesus,  of  nearly  equal  age, 
descended  from  two  families  allied  to  each  other  by 
blood  and  friendship,  though  in  point  of  residence 
separated  from  each  other  by  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, yet  in  their  youth  and  riper  years,  as  well  at 
the  feasts  as  on  other  occasions,  had  cultivated  their 


SERMONS.  265 

mutual  knowledge  and  relation  ;  above  all  as  they, 
though  different  in  character  and  natural  disposition, 
so  greatly  resembled  each  other  in  zeal  for  God  and 
goodness. 

The  parents  of  John,  however,  had  carefully  con- 
cealed from  him,  as  well  the  heavenly  origin  of 
Jesus,  as  the  exalted  dignity  wTith  which  he,  as  Re- 
deemer of  the  world,  must  be  invested.  And  we 
hear  him  in  the  immediate  sequel  of  my  text  declare, 
that  he  had  not  previously  known  him  as  the  Mes- 
siah, the  Son  of  God,  till  he  saw  the  heavens  opened 
and  the  Spirit  of  God  descending  on  him.  Yet  prior 
to  that  his  esteem  for  Jesus  was  so  unbounded,  that 
he  refused  to  baptize  him,  saying,  I  have  need  to  he 
baptized  of  thee  ;  and  only  at  the  urgent  solicitation 
of  the  latter  did  he  consent  to  do  it.  As  soon,  also, 
as  he  had  received  the  desired  revelation,  it  was  to 
him  simply  as  if  he  saw  his  own  conjecture  con- 
firmed ;  and  he  hesitated  not  a  moment  publicly  to 
proclaim  Jesus,  whose  walk  and  conversation  from 
childhood  up  he  had  been  able  carefully  to  observe, . 
and  to  declare  him  to  be  the  man,  the  latchet  of 
ivhose  shoes  he  was  not  ivorthy  to  unloose.  The  tes- 
timony contained  in  my  text  is  the  testimony  of 
John,  not  of  a  stranger  who  now  first,  or  for  only  a 
few  days  past,  knew  the  singular  Nazarene,  but  of 
him  who  had  seen  him  grow  up,  and  become  in  the 
domestic  circle  what  he  was  ;  not  of  a  man  preju- 
diced, prepossessed  by  his  own  notions,  or  blinded 
by  affection,  but  of  a  venerable  prophet,  who  must 
himself  first  receive  from  God  what  he  proclaimed 
to  others.     Him  we  hear  testify  of  Jesus :  Behold 


266  SERMONS 

the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world. 

That  John  by  these  words  intended  to  point 
out  Jesus  to  the  multitude  as  the  promised  Messiah 
and  tlie  Son  of  God,  is  sufficiently  evident  from  the 
sequel  of  his  discourse  ;  but  whence  did  he  borrow 
these  emblematic  expressions,  and  why  did  he  pre- 
fer the  use  of  them  now  ?  The  brief  reply  to  these 
two  questions  will  comprise  all  that  I  now  deem 
necessary  for  the  explication  of  my  text. 

It  may  be  that  John,  who  was  preaching  and  bap- 
tizing at  Bethabara,  at  one  of  the  principal  ferries  or 
fords  of  the  Jordan,  now  saw  a  flock  of  lambs  cross- 
ing that  river,  which,  destined  for  the  sacrificial  ser- 
vice of  the  temple,  were  from  the  country  beyond 
Jordan,  rich  in  cattle,  being  driven  toward  Jerusa- 
lem ;  and  that  he,  seeing  the  attention  of  his  hearers 
fastened  for  a  moment  upon  it,  transferred  their  at- 
tention from  it  to  Jesus,  by  saying  of  him,  Behold 
here  the  true  sacrificial  lamb !  Behold  the  lamb  of 
God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world !  Yet 
this  incident  alone,  though  we  should  in  the  silence 
of  history  accept  it  as  true,  is  not  sufficient  to  ex- 
plain the  saying  of  the  Baptist,  or  to  justify  the  use 
of  his  singular  words.  He  has  without  doubt  his 
eye  on  something  else  ;  whether  on  the  daily  burnt- 
offering,  or  on  the  lamb  that  was  eaten  at  the  Pass- 
over, or,  which  seems  to  me  the  most  probable,  —  as 
the  soul  of  John  was  constantly  and  wholly  filled  with 
Isaiah's  predictions,  in  which  the  design  of  his  own 
appearance  was  so  clearly  and  forcibly  announced, 
on  the  well-known  oracle  in  which  it  is  said  of  the 


SERMONS.  267 

man  on  whom  the  Lord  hath  laid  the  iniquity  of  us 
all,  that  he  is  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  and 
as  a  sheep  before  her  shearers  is  dumb,  so  he  opened 
not  his  mouth.  We  may  thus  accept  the  declaration 
of  John  as  the  most  concise  exposition  of  that  proph- 
ecy ;  as  a  positive  assurance  that  the  whole  glorious 
prediction  of  which  the  words  quoted  constitute  a 
part,  has  been  completely  fulfilled  in  Jesus,  the  son 
of  Mary. 

Now  if  this  be  the  simplest  and  most  natural  ex- 
planation of  John's  words,  then  we  also  find  in  them 
the  reason  why  he  preferred  to  use  these  emblem- 
atic expressions.  They  point  out  the  Messiah  ac- 
cording to  the  style  of  the  ancient  predictions,  and 
could  thus  be  censured  by  none,  could  give  offence 
to  none ;  they  were  adapted  to  awaken  the  most 
intense  interest  in  him,  and  to  fasten  on  him  the 
most  fixed  attention  ;  and  they  at  the  same  time 
assailed  in  the  most  vital  point  those  prejudices 
which  stood  most  in  the  way  of  the  blessed  designs 
of  Jesus'  coming  into  the  world.  All  that  was 
found  in  the  ancient  prophecies  of  the  splendor 
that  should  surround  the  Messiah's  kingdom,  of  its 
triumph  over  its  enemies,  and  the  happiness  of  the 
beloved  people  under  his  reign,  was  received  by  the 
Jews  of  that  time  with  avidity ;  and  Abraham's 
degenerate  offspring  hardly  entertained  a  thought  of 
the  greatest  blessing  of  all,  which  the  greatest  of 
Abraham's  descendants  must  bring  to  all  nations 
of  the  world.  Of  all  the  divine  oracles,  they  now 
thought  the  least  of  those  whose  fulfilment  was 
nearest  at  hand ;  and  whilst  they  saw  him  sitting  as 


268  SERMONS. 

King  on  David's  throne,  they  forgot  that  he  must  be 
led  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  and  that  by  his  stripes 
they  must  be  healed.  Should  not,  then,  the  voice  of 
him  that  cried  in  the  wilderness,  who  must  prepare 
the  way  of  the  Redeemer,  endeavor  to  remove  the 
stumbling-block,  this  rock  of  offence  out  of  the  wav, 
and  thus  pave  the  way  in  the  hearts  of  his  contem- 
poraries for  the  blessed  one  who  now  came  to  them 
in  Jehovah's  name  ?  Should,  could  he  then  give  to 
this  multitude  a  more  appropriate,  more  forcible  tes- 
timony respecting  him,  than  the  affecting  and  sub- 
lime utterance  which  is  the  subject  of  our  present 
meditation  ? 

Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin 
of  the  world.  How  was  thy  mind  affected,  O  faith- 
ful John,  when  thou  gavest  utterance  to  these  words? 
Did  thy  heart  then  bleed  in  the  prospect  of  the  bit- 
ter hour  of  suffering  which  was  near  at  hand  to  the 
beloved  companion  of  thy  youth ;  or  did  thine  eye 
pierce  through  that  cloud,  and  behold  the  morning 
of  the  accomplished  reconciliation,  in  which  thou, 
as  the  last  and  greatest  of  the  ancient  prophets, 
shouldst  exult  and  reign  with  him?  Or  were  all 
these  emotions  now  swallowed  up  in  thee,  O  second 
Elias,  by  the  burning  zeal  of  thy  noble  calling,  as 
forerunner  of  Jesus  in  his  kingdom,  to  turn  the 
hearts  of  the  fathers  unto  the  children,  that  he 
might  be  received  by  his  people  with  joyful  thanks- 
giving, yea,  with  transport  ?  Alas  !  thy  endeavor 
with  regard  to  many  who  at  this  time  heard  thee, 
proved  fruitless,  as  they  did  not  desire  the  innocent, 
humble,  patient  Lamb   of  God  for  their  king,  and 


SERMONS.  269 

who,  because  they  rejected  the  counsel  of  God  against 
their  own  souls,  were  doomed  to  be  the  criminal  ex- 
ecutors of  that  counsel  for  others. 

It  is  not  my  design,  my  hearers,  to  enter  more 
deeply  into  the  explanation  of  these  words,  and  they 
do  not,  indeed,  absolutely  require  it ;  for  that  Lamb 
of  God  means  the  same  as  Lamb  devoted  to  God  or 
divine  Lamb,  and  that  it  is  the  suffering  Saviour 
who  by  this  phrase  is  exhibited  to  us,  every  one  of 
you,  even  without  its  being  indicated  by  me,  will 
readily  comprehend.  Nor  yet  have  I  selected  these 
words  with  the  intention  of  confining  myself  to 
their  literal  import,  but  of  making  them  the  basis 
of  a  discourse  that  I  deem  appropriate  and  in  some 
measure  demanded  of  me. 

The  history  of  the  sufferings  of  Jesus,  from  begin- 
ning to  end,  is  yearly  presented  to  us  in  detail  at  the 
appointed  times  in  our  public  religious  service.  This 
useful  and  laudable  custom  does  not  however  re- 
move or  set  aside  the  obligation  of  presenting  these 
sufferings,  in  all  their  particulars  combined,  as  a 
whole  ;  yea,  should  we  neglect  to  do  this,  it  might 
become  a  hindrance  to  the  vivid  and  all-surpassing 
salutary  contemplation  of  these  most  important  and 
most  precious  of  all  events.  I  have  resolved,  there- 
fore, on  this  occasion,  to  suspend  before  your  eyes  a 
tableau  of  the  last  hours  of  Jesus ;  to  contemplate  him 
with  you  from  the  moment  that  he  was  delivered 
into  the  power  of  his  enemies  till  he  resigned  his 
spirit  on  the  cross ;  and  to  invite  you  to  this  con- 
templation with  the  words  of  John,  Behold  the  Lamb 
of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 


270  SERMONS. 

When  we  would  reflect  on  the  suffering  of  Jesus 
as  a  whole,  three  principal  subjects  claim  our  special 
consideration  :  the  circumstances  that  constitute  it, 
the  conduct  of  the  sufferer  under  these  circum- 
stances, and  the  salutary  effects  of  this  very  suffer- 
ing. I  shall  therefore  exhibit  it  to  you  from  three 
different  points  of  view :  — 

First,  as  a  melancholy  scene  of  human  passions 
and  vices. 

Secondly,  as  a  sublime  spectacle  of  human  great- 
ness. 

Finally,  as  the  cause  of  all  human  happiness. 

Sanctify  our  meditation,  O  Thou  who  hast  suffered 
and  died  for  us.  Penetrate  us  by  thy  Spirit,  inflame 
us  with  thy  love,  animate  us  by  the  power  of  thy 
example,  that  the  fruit  of  thy  sufferings  and  death 
may  also  be  the  fruit  of  our  devout  meditation. 
Amen  ! 

I.  Had  I  determined  to  exhibit  to  you  the  passion 
of  Jesus  in  all  its  circumstances,  and  in  connected 
order,  I  should  have  been  obliged  to  devote  to  it  the 
whole  hour  of  our  meeting ;  but  I  should  also  have 
been  under  the  necessity  of  touching  on  many  inci- 
dents which  are  not  only  known  to  you  all,  but  are 
vividly  impressed  on  your  memory ;  and  the  great 
importance  even  of  the  subject  could  hardly  prevent 
some  of  you  from  feeling  that  I  had  robbed  you  of 
your  time.  I  have  for  this  reason  judged  it  proper 
to  let  you  look  at  this  part  of  my  subject  from  a 
limited  point  of  view,  and  to  enable  you  to  see  and 
detest  in  it  a  complex  picture  of  human  passions  and 
perversities.     To  this  end  let  us  fix  our  attention 


SERMONS.  271 

alternately  on  the  Jewish  magnates,  the  Roman  gov- 
ernor, the  disciples  of  Jesus,  the  executioners  of  the 
sentence  of  death  passed  against  him,  and  the  spec- 
tators of  the  same. 

Long  since  had  the  enemies  of  Jesus  resolved  to 
effect  his  death  ;  and  they  now  only  waited  till  the 
Passover  should  have  been  celebrated,  and  the  mul- 
titude of  foreign  Jews  have  left  Jerusalem,  to  get 
him  by  violence  into  their  power.  But  most  unex- 
pectedly an  event  occurs  which  changes  the  aspect  of 
the  affair,  and  induces  them  to  hasten  the  accom- 
plishment of  their  design.  One  of  the  confidential 
disciples  of  Jesus  proposes  to  deliver  him,  unob- 
served and  by  night,  into  their  hands,  and  stipulates 
to  do  it  for  a  disgraceful  reward,  which  they  gladly 
consent  to  give.  How  greatly,  by  this  offer  and 
by  the  person  who  made  it,  was  their  inward  fear  of 
Jesus  diminished,  and  their  hope  of  a  desired  issue 
confirmed  !  Everything  now  depends  on  caution  in 
undertaking,  and  promptness  in  executing ;  that  the 
people,  perplexed,  confused,  may  have  no  time  for 
reflection  until  it  be  too  late,  and  all  retreat  im- 
possible. And  in  this  they  acquit  themselves  with 
such  a  hellish  dispatch,  that,  though  it  was  late  in 
the  night,  whilst  all  was  still  in  the  streets  of  Jeru- 
salem, when  Jesus  was  first  treacherously  seized,  by 
nine  o'clock  the  next  morning  he  was  suspended  on 
the  cross  !  Already  is  the  council  assembled,  at  an 
unusual  place, —  the  house  of  the  high-priest, —  at  an 
unseasonable  hour,  —  in  the  dead  of  night,  —  when 
Jesus  is  brought  pinioned  before  them.  Already 
bribed  accusers  are  on  hand  ;  already  are  the  officers 


272  SERMONS. 

of  justice  there,  to  guard  the  condemned  after  the 
dissolution  of  the  assembly ;  and  as  the  pretended 
administration  of  justice  seems  to  proceed  with  too 
slow  a  pace,  the  high-priest  suddenly  brings  it  to  a 
close  ;  he  adjures  Jesus  to  confess  that  he  is  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  and  instantly  is  heard  from 
the  lips  of  all :  He  hath  blasphemed  6JW,  he  is  guilty 
of  death  ! 

After  pronouncing  this  sentence  they  separate, 
and  many  of  those  judges  must  in  vain  have  sought 
sleep  upon  their  beds.  But  also  with  the  dawning 
of  the  day  a  new  assembly  is  convened  in  the 
temple,  the  sentence  that  had  been  pronounced  is 
confirmed,  and  the  sun  has  hardly  diffused  its  first 
rays  ere  they  stand  with  their  prisoner  at  the  gate 
of  the  governor's  palace.  And  what  will  they  do 
there  ?  Seek  permission  to  inflict  on  a  man,  who 
had  transgressed  the  law  of  the  fathers,  death 
according  to  the  sentence  of  that  law  ?  No  !  for 
this  too  much  preparation  is  required,  too  much 
cooperation  of  the  people,  too  much  time  to  bury 
him  beneath  the  heap  of  stones,  and  the  issue  is  too 
hazardous.  By  Roman  authority,  by  the  hand  of 
Roman  soldiers,  he  must  undergo  a  cruel  capital  pun- 
ishment. This  they  demand  for  him  as  a  mover  of 
sedition,  who  forbade  to  pay  tribute  to  Caesar,  and 
usurped  the  crown  himself!  Pilate  hesitates,  but 
they  insist  upon  it ;  Pilate  seeks  evasions,  but  they 
elude  them,  and  do  not  release  him  ;  Pilate  appeals 
to  the  people,  but  the  assembled  multitude  are 
already  instigated  against  the  defenceless  prisoner ; 
they  finally  triumph  over  all  opposition,  and  satiate 


SERMONS.  273 

their  thirst  for  blood  in  the  murder  of  that  righteous 
one. 

And  whence  this  infuriated  persecution  of  Jesus  ? 
From  wounded  self-love,  my  hearers,  from  prejudice 
and  pride,  but  above  all  from  religious  hatred. 
They  were  esteemed  by  the  people  as  expounders 
of  the  law  and  guardians  of  the  purity  of  doctrine  ; 
and  Jesus  had  publicly  upbraided  them,  as  being 
blind  leaders  of  the  blind,  as  having  lost  the  key 
of  knowledge,  and  as  having  made  true  religious 
knowledge  unattainable  by  means  of  their  traditions. 
Oh  lamentable  effects  of  pretended  religious  zeal ! 
But  this  is  not  the  only  instance  of  the  madness 
of  this  passion,  this  not  the  only  innocent  blood  that 
it  has  caused  to  flow.  Distrust  every  one,  my 
brethren,  who  persecutes  his  brother  for  his  re- 
ligious opinions !  Believe  not  what  he  says  to  you 
of  his  desire  for  God's  honor ;  and  always  think, 
pretended  zeal  for  God's  honor  nailed  Jesus  to  the 
cross  ! 

But  let  us  cast  our  eye  on  Pilate,  and  the  part 
that  he  also  had  in  the  history  of  Jesus'  sufferings. 
If  it  can  be  said  of  any  historical  character,  it  can- 
not possibly  be  fictitious,  it  is  that  of  this  governor 
to  which  this  remark  applies  in  its  full  extent.  Such 
a  mixture  of  Roman  greatness  and  degeneracy,  of 
Roman  arrogance  and  cowardice,  of  shameful  vio- 
lation  of  right  with  a  residue  of  Roman  justice,  of 
Roman  superstition  and  hatred  to  the  populace,  — 
such  a  character,  always  in  contradiction  to  itself,  is 
drawn  only  by  the  hand  of  nature,  not  by  that  of 
the  skilful  inventor.      A  more  profound  contempt 

18 


274  SERMONS. 

cannot  be  cherished  or  exhibited  than  Pilate  enter- 
tained for  the  Jewish  magnates  ;  yet  he  lends  him- 
self to  be  the  tool  to  satiate  their  thirst  for  blood  ! 
No  stronger  conviction  of  one's  innocence  can  be 
evinced  than  Pilate  did  of  that  of  Jesus  ;  and  yet 
he  surrenders  him  to  be  crucified !  Greater  efforts 
could  hardly  be  made  to  rescue  Jesus,  and  at  the 
same  time  greater  cruelties  towards  him  be  toler- 
ated. A  dream  of  his  wife  terrifies  him ;  a  remark 
of  the  Jews  causes  him  to  tremble  at  the  thought  that 
he  has  perhaps  before  him  an  offspring  of  the  gods ; 
and  he  seeks  to  deliver  himself  from  that  fearful 
conflict  by  saying,  I  ivill  cause  him  to  be  scourged  and 
released  !  Whilst  he  commands  him  to  be  punished 
with  death,  he  washes  his  hands  in  innocence,  and 
avenges  himself  on  the  enemies  of  Jesus,  by  reproach- 
ing and  humbling  them  by  inscribing  his  accusa- 
tion on  his  cross.  Oh  enigmas  of  the  human  heart ! 
But,  above  all,  oh  adorable  conduct  of  God's  provi- 
dence, that,  in  the  midst  of  external  disgrace,  cares 
for  the  honor  of  his  holy  child  Jesus,  and  causes  his 
innocence  to  be  indisputably  exhibited  to  the  eye  of 
all  succeeding  generations  by  the  very  man  who 
involuntarily  condemned  him,  because  he  feared  to 
lose  CaBsar's  friendship  ! 

It  is  a  sad  and  humiliating  truth,  that  misfortune, 
instead  of  binding  men  to  men,  on  the  contrary 
separates  them  from  one  another,  and  that  the  ex- 
amples are  rare  of  fidelity  in  friendship  when  sub- 
jected to  the  severest  test.  But  why,  alas,  must 
also  the  disciples  of  Jesus  serve  to  confirm  this 
melancholv  truth?      They,  who  should  have  been 


SERMONS.  275 

wholly  penetrated  with  love,  respect,  and  admira- 
tion, who  had  been  so  near  by  the  spectators  of  his 
power  and  glory,  of  his  unbounded  desire  to  make 
others,  above  all  to  make  them,  happy  !  I  censure 
not  in  them,  that  they  made  no  effort  to  rescue  him 
from  the  power  of  his  enemies,  or  to  influence  the 
people  favorably  towards  him,  for  he  himself  had 
predicted  this  hour  of  suffering  as  necessary ;  but 
why  forsake  him?  Why  not  share  in  his  lot, 
comfort  him  by  their  looks,  confess  him  before  the 
council,  before  Pilate,  before  the  multitude  ?  gather 
up  at  the  cross,  with  weeping,  the  drops  of  his  blood  ? 
Behold,  my  hearers,  the  weak  disciples  of  Jesus, 
whose  courage  and  strength,  afterwards  displayed, 
must  now  appear  not  to  have  been  derived  from 
themselves,  but  from  a  higher  source.  I  speak  not 
to  you  of  the  wretched  traitor ;  I  recall  not  to  your 
memory  the  deep  fall  of  the  impetuous  Peter ;  and 
the  rest  also  you  remember.  As  long  as  Jesus  is 
still  at  liberty,  they  ask,  Shall  we  draw  the  sword  ? 
but  hardly  do  they  see  him  pinioned,  before  they 
disgracefully  take  to  flight :  not  the  fear  of  sharing 
their  Master's  fate,  but  of  being  accounted  his  dis- 
ciples, influences  them ;  and  as  Jesus  hangs,  a  spec- 
tacle, they,  with  other  acquaintances  dispersed 
among  the  multitude,  stand  afar  off!  Only  certain 
tender-hearted  women,  with  the  deeply  wounded 
mother  of  the  Lord  at  their  head,  and  accompanied 
by  the  beloved  John,  maintain  here  the  honor  of 
humanity,  and  spread  by  their  virtue  at  least  a  few 
rays  of  light  in  this  night  of  extreme  darkness. 
Yet  a  single  word  respecting  the  instruments  and 


276  SERMONS. 

spectators  of  Jesus'  death.  Among  the  first  you 
find  in  part  disorderly  officers  of  justice,  who,  instead 
of  treating  with  indulgence  the  prisoner  committed 
to  their  custody,  taunt  him  in  the  most  cruel  man- 
ner, spit  upon  him,  smite  him  on  the  face  with 
their  fists,  and  pour  reproach  and  torment  upon  him 
like  water!  in  part  wanton  soldiers,  who  lacerate 
his  body  with  stripes,  pierce  his  head  with  thorns, 
exhibit  him  as  a  mock  king,  and  finally  nail  his 
hands  and  feet  to  a  cross  !  You  find  spectators  who 
delight  themselves  in  his  fearful  and  bitter  suffer- 
ings  ;  and  if  it  were  for  David  a  deadly  thrust  in 
his  bones  when  it  was  said  in  his  misfortune,  Where 
is  thy  God  f  how  deeply  then  must  it  have  wounded 
Jesus  to  hear :  He  trusted  in  God ;  let  him  deliver 
Mm  now.  He  saved  others  ;  himself  he  cannot  save. 
But  I  will  not  enter  more  deeply  into  this  ;  behold, 
my  beloved,  with  emotion  the  fall  and  corruption  of 
human  nature.  If  it  ever  appeared  that  recon- 
ciliation for  sin  and  renovation  of  the  heart  are 
necessary  to  be  able  to  see  in  God  the  Father  of 
mankind,  it  appeared  in  the  history,  black  and  ter- 
rible beyond  all  conception,  of  the  accomplished 
reconciliation ! 

II.  From  this  spectacle  let  us  turn  our  eyes  to 
another  and  more  glorious  scene,  to  the  suffering 
Saviour,  and  behold  in  him  the  true  and  only  example 
of  human  greatness.  If  you  had,  however,  no  other 
idea  of  human  greatness  than  that  which  attracts 
notice  and  excites  astonishment,  which  consists  in 
brilliant  achievements  or  bold  speeches,  then  would 
you  seek  for  it  in  vain  in  the  suffering  Jesus !  Humil- 


SERMONS.  277 

ity  and  patience  constituted  with  him  its  distinctive 
character ;  its  essence  lay  couched  in  the  meaning 
of  this  saying  to  his  disciples,  when  taken  prisoner : 
Tlie  cup  which  my  Father  hath  given  me,  shall  I  not 
drink  it  ?  Yes,  his  greatness  was  that  of  the  Lamb 
of  God! 

Obedience  to  God,  and  the  most  perfect  submis- 
sion to  God's  will,  are  the  virtues  which,  more  than 
all  others,  distinguish  the  last  hours  of  Jesus'  life. 
That  he  did  not  avail  himself  of  the  power  com- 
mitted to  him,  of  the  legions  of  angels  that  were  at 
his  service,  to  destroy  his  enemies,  was  not  the  only 
proof  of  this  obedience  ;  but  he  also  makes  not  a 
single  effort  to  favorably  influence  or  to  move  to 
compassion  the  heart  of  his  judges  or  of  his  execu- 
tioners or  of  the  spectators.  When  Pilate  hesitated, 
one  word  from  him  would  perhaps  have  been  suffi- 
cient to  effect  his  release.  Led  to  Herod,  he  would 
without  doubt  not  have  fruitlessly  invoked  the  pro- 
tection of  this  Galilean  prince.  Placed  next  to 
Barabbas,  he  had  probably  only  to  make  his  voice 
heard,  in  order  to  see  all  the  crafty  designs  of  his 
enemies  frustrated.  But  it  was  his  Father's  will 
that  this  cup  should  not  pass  from  him,  and  he  drank 
it  to  the  dregs.  Oh  matchless  patience  !  Where  do 
you  hear  Jesus  utter  one  hard  word  against  his 
judges,  against  the  people,  against  his  murderers  ? 
He  upbraids  not  the  Jews  with  their  abominations, 
nor  Pilate  with  his  cowardice.  No  word  of  complaint 
escapes  his  lips,  not  even  a  solemn  avowal  of  his 
innocence,  nor  a  vindication  of  himself  before  the 
multitude  who  jeered  at  his  confidence  in  God.    He 


278  SERMONS. 

was  condemned  as  a  blasphemer  of  God,  and  heard 
it  patiently  ;  cruelly  derided  by  the  refuse  of  man- 
kind, and  he  allowed  their  waggery  to  be  practised ; 
he  was  placed  on  a  par  with  a  miscreant  and 
murderer,  and  regarded  it  not ;  he  was  scourged,  and 
as  an  insurgent  slave  was  nailed  to  the  accursed  tree, 
and  he  suffered  patiently  and  silently,  for  it  was  his 
Father's  will  that  he  should  come  to  this  hour.  This 
one  idea  wholly  possessed  him ;  no  torments,  no 
humiliations  caused  him  to  waver,  and,  as  a  sheep 
that  is  led  to  the  slaughter,  so  he  opened  not  his 
mouth  ! 

It  is  true,  we  hear  from  him  on  the  cross  this 
plaintive  exclamation,  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast 
thou  forsaken  me?  But,  my  beloved,  patience  is  no 
insensibility,  no  hardening  of  the  mind  against  the 
sharp  sting  of  pain  ;  by  this  moaning  complaint  of 
David  must  be  made  known  to  us  the  full  extent  of 
what  Jesus  now  endured  ;  this  piteous  plaint  could 
alone  describe  the  death-anguish  of  him  who  suffered 
for  the  sins  of  mankind,  of  the  Lamb  of  God,  which 
took  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 

Virtue,  my  hearers,  is  in  its  essence  one  ;  he 
whose  will  is  truly  united  with  the  will  of  God,  and 
whose  patient  submission  flows  from  this  source,  pos- 
sesses in  the  same  not  only  the  seed  of  all  other  vir- 
tues, but  he  also  manifests  them  all  in  this  one.  But 
we  are  obliged,  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  our  con- 
ception, to  distinguish  them  from  each  other ;  and  it 
is  for  this  reason  that  we  must  here  also,  in  order 
to  be  able  rightly  to  estimate  the  greatness  of  Jesus 
in  his  sufferings,  attentively  and  reverently  contem- 


SERMONS.  279 

plate  his  p>resence  of  mind  under  them,  his  ivisdom, 
dignity ■,  and  philanthropy. 

Presence  of  mind,  wisdom,  and  dignity  are  closely 
allied  to  each  other ;  and  though  to  assist  your  atten- 
tion I  have  named  them  separately,  yet  to  avoid  too 
numerous  subdivisions  I  will  treat  them  conjointly. 
When  we  carefully  observe  the  sufferings  of  Jesus, 
from  the  time  that  he  is  taken  prisoner  till  his  last 
gasp,  there  is  nothing  that  so  greatly  surprises  us 
as  the  composure  and  serenity  which  do  not  for  a 
moment  forsake  him.  Whilst  around  him  passions 
of  every  kind  are  aroused  and  lashed  into  a  tempest, 
whilst  he  is  himself  the  victim  of  those  excited  and 
raging  passions,  in  his  heart  alone  it  remains  quiet 
and  serene ;  his  courage,  though  not  in  the  least 
inflamed  by  resentment,  is  not,  however,  extin- 
guished ;  he  does  not  forget  himself ;  he  speaks 
where  speaking,  he  is  silent  where  silence  is  best ; 
and  if  by  each  particular  of  this  grievous  suffering 
we  demand  of  ourselves  :  Could  Jesus  in  this,  should 
he  in  this  have  acted  otherwise  ?  then  we  must  can- 
didly reply :  In  everything  he  was  irreprehensible 
and  perfect !  When  he  is  silent,  no  language  can 
express  the  power  of  this  silence  ;  when  he  speaks, 
conviction  or  grace  streams  from  his  lips,  and  also  in 
this  his  suffering  he  is  proved  to  be  the  wisdom  of 
God. 

Jesus  would  not,  nor  should  he,  put  forth  a  single 
effort  to  effect  his  release  by  means  which  were 
not  prescribed  to  him  by  honor  and  innocence  ;  but 
also  all  those  means  which  honor  and  innocence 
prescribed  to  him,  he  must  employ  without  devi- 


280  SERMONS. 

ating  from  this  slender  line  on  the  one  side  or  the 
other.  View,  my  hearers,  from  this  standpoint, 
the  replies  of  Jesus,  and  you  will  be  lost  in  their 
profound,  considerate  wisdom.  The  high -priest 
asks  him  of  his  disciples  and  of  his  doctrine  ;  why ! 
was  his  reply,  must  then  the  accused  state  him- 
self wherein  he,  according  to  the  judgment  of  his 
judges,  may  have  offended  ?  I  spake  openly  to  the 
world,  ask  them  ivhich  heard  me  tvhat  I  have  said 
unto  them.  Pilate  asks  him  :  Art  thou  the  King  of 
the  Jews?  He  answers:  thou  art  governor,  and 
here  in  Jerusalem  to  prevent  all  insurrections  ;  hast 
thou  perceived  anything  of  a  King  of  the  Jews  ? 
Sayest  thou  this  thing  of  thyself,  or  did  others  tell 
it  thee  of  me  ?  What  a  noble,  genuine  simplicity  ! 
But  Jesus  spoke  little  during  this  whole  trial,  and 
as  remarkable  deaths  were  commonly,  and  among 
these  also  the  most  remarkable  that  heathen  an- 
tiquity offers  us,  distinguished  by  much  speaking,  so 
that  of  Jesus  is  distinguished  by  seriousness  and 
solemnity,  by  much  silence,  or  by  short  sayings,  but 
penetrating  the  wdiole  soul.  He  vindicated  him- 
self at  least  not  more  than  once  against  each 
accusation  ;  when  it  was  repeated,  or  when  ab- 
surd things  were  insultingly  said,  he  was  silent. 
And  in  this  silence  we  see  not  only  judicious  seri- 
ousness, but  great  dignity.  Yes,  my  hearers,  among 
all  that  characterizes  human  greatness,  not  the  least 
place  is  filled  by  the  union  of  genuine  humility  with 
inward  consciousness  of  personal  worth  ;  the  main- 
tenance of  manly  dignity  without  any  offensive 
pride.     What  should  Jesus  say  to  despicable  men, 


SERMONS.  281 

who  were,  in  their  hearts,  convinced  of  his  inno- 
cence ;  who  only  sought  to  ensnare  him,  or  to  take 
occasion  from  his  words  for  new  accusation  ?  Did 
they  deserve  in  any  other  way  than  by  his  silence 
to  become  ashamed  ?  Above  all,  did  the  low- 
minded  Herod,  who,  in  the  calumniated  and  abused 
innocence,  saw  only  a  tool  to  gratify  his  trifling 
curiosity  ;  did  he  deserve  that  Jesus  should  speak 
to  him  a  single  word,  and  should  not  Jesus  also 
here,  by  silence,  maintain  his  dignity  ?  But  when 
this  same  sublimity  of  virtue  must  be  manifested 
by  frank  confession,  we  see  it  no  less  gloriously 
exhibited.  He  does  not  dissemble  that  he  ascribed 
to  himself  royal  dignity,  but  from  which  the  Roman 
power  had  nothing  to  fear,  that  his  kingdom  was 
not  of  this  zvorld ;  and  when  the  high-priest  ad- 
jured him  by  the  living  God  to  say  whether  he  were 
the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  he  boldly  answered, 
Yes !  and  joined  with  it,  for  the  presumptuous 
wretch  and  his  partisans,  a  threatening  which 
would  have  caused  them  to  fall  trembling  at  his 
feet  had  it  not  been  their  hour  and  the  poiver  of 
darkness. 

Finally,  to  true  greatness  also  belongs  above  all 
'philanthropy,  or  let  me  rather  term  it  humanity ; 
and  see,  see  in  the  midst  of  his  sufferings,  the  heart 
of  Jesus  as  much  opened  for  his  brethren  as  when 
he  moved  in  safety  among  them.  The  look  cast 
upon  Peter  when  the  cock  crew  showed,  already, 
how  he  forgot  himself  for  them  that  were  his. 
Exhausted  by  tortures,  and  panting  under  the  bur- 
den of  his  cross,  what  chiefly  presents  itself  to  his 


282  SERMONS. 

imagination  are  the  terrible  calamities  which  the 
hardened  Jews  were  bringing  upon  themselves  by 
his  death,  and  he  cries  to  the  weeping  women : 
Daughters  of  Jerusalem,  weep  not  for  me,  but  weep 
for  yourselves,  and  for  your  children.  For  if  they 
do  these  things  in  a  green  tree,  what  shall  be  done  in 
the  dry  ?  While  the  executioners  nail  him  to  the 
cross,  it  is  as  if  he  sees  the  lightning  of  God's  jus- 
tice ready  to  strike  them,  and  he  exclaims :  Father, 
forgive  them  ;  for  they  knoiv  7iot  what  they  do.  A 
malefactor  who  is  crucified  beside  him,  and  whose 
execution  must  enhance  the  disgrace  of  his,  does  not 
fruitlessly  invoke  his  compassion  :  To-day  shalt  thou 
be  with  me  in  paradise.  Such  was  the  language 
of  him  who  never  suffered  any  one  to  depart  un- 
comforted  from  him,  and  whose  last  moments,  like 
his  whole  life,  were  grace  and  love. 

See  this  beautiful  affection  of  tender  humanity 
shine  forth  preeminently  in  the  hour  of  his  death, 
when  he  fully  meets  the  claims  of  the  holiest  of 
human  relations.  At  the  foot  of  the  cross  stands 
his  mother,  whose  soul  is  now,  according  to  Simeon's 
prediction,  pierced  by  a  sword.  What  will  become 
of  the  forsaken,  disconsolate  one,  after  the  death  of 
her  only  son  ?  He  sees  his  beloved  John  standing 
beside  her:  Woman,  says  lie,  behold  thy  son!  And 
casting  his  eye  on  his  beloved  disciple,  he  cries  to 
him :  Behold  thy  mother  !  and  having  thus  relieved 
his  heart  of  his  filial  duty,  it  is  as  if  with  greater 
composure  that  he  commits  his  spirit  into  the  hands 
of  his  Father. 

But  there  is   still  another  word  uttered  on  the 


SERMONS.  283 

cross,  of  which,  above  all,  I  must  make  mention. 
Jesus  himself,  when  he  felt  his  strength  fail  with 
the  approach  of  death,  caused  himself  to  be  re- 
freshed with  the  vinegar  used  on  such  occasions, 
that  he  might  proclaim  it  with  louder  voice  :  It 
is  accomplished.  Mysterious  word !  how  can  we 
fathom  thy  meaning  without  penetrating  more 
deeply  into  the  mysteries  of  God's  council,  re- 
specting this  greatest  of  all  issues  revealed  to  us  ? 
What  other  explanation  of  this  word  is  there  which 
does  not  insult  both  our  understanding  and  heart, 
save  this  alone,  by  which  we  regard  the  sufferings 
of  Jesus  as  the  cause  of  the  happiness  of  mankind  ? 

III.  To  this,  then,  let  us  devote  the  remaining 
moments  of  this  hour. 

As  often  as  we  see  events  whose  results  exceed 
all  our  calculation ;  above  all,  when  wTe  see,  with 
the  permission  of  divine  Providence,  great  and 
grievous  iniquities  practised  ;  yea,  the  confluence 
of  all  circumstances  so  directed  and  modified,  that 
only  as  it  favors,  such  great  and  grievous  iniquities 
could  be  committed  ;  then  we  may  always  safely 
conclude  that  the  government  of  God,  extending 
to  all  things,  has  something  great  and  singular  in 
view  ;  that  God's  councils,  relative  to  the  salvation 
of  mankind,  relative  to  the  consummation  and  per- 
fection of  his  ways  and  projects,  are  on  the  eve  of 
an  illustrious  development.  In  this  light  we  must 
also,  above  all,  place  the  history  of  Jesus'  sufferings 
and  death.  It  occurred,  it  is  true,  on  the  small 
theatre  of  despised  Judea;  a  single  man  was  the 
victim  of  wickedness,  and  it  was  begun  and  finished 


284  SERMONS. 

within  a  few  hours  ;  but  this  does  not  prevent  it 
from  having  been  the  most  important  and  greatest 
of  all  evTents.  Never  has  a  man  lived,  —  one  may 
freely  consult  all  the  histories  of  the  world,  —  never 
has  a  man  lived  who  deserves  to  be  compared  to 
Jesus.  Never  has  there  existed  an  innocence,  wis- 
dom, and  greatness  like  his.  Never  was  innocence 
in  such  a  manner  traduced,  derided,  and  trampled 
on ;  all  laws  of  virtue  and  humanity  so  shamefully 
violated  and  impaired ;  all  that  can  be  called  cruel 
or  terrible  poured  upon  one  head  in  such  measure 
and  without  respite  ;  never  did  the  power  of  hell 
triumph  with  such  open  contempt  of  God's  holiness 
and  righteousness,  as  when  Jesus  died  on  the  cross  ! 
And  the  only  design  of  this  amazing  event  was  to 
furnish  an  inimitable  example  of  virtue  and  patience  ? 
or  to  confirm  a  doctrine  which  needed  not  this  con- 
firmation, and  which,  indeed,  since  Jesus  died  as  a 
mover  of  sedition  and  was  not  solicited  to  recant 
his  doctrine,  was  not  confirmed  by  his  death  ?  And 
the  forcible  exclamation,  It  is  accomplished,  sig- 
nified nothing  else  than  It  is  finished,  my  sufferings 
are  ended  ?  No,  my  hearers,  no  ;  to  this  end  it 
was  not  necessary  that  Herod  and  Pilate  and  the 
Jewish  Sanhedrim  should  conspire  against  God's 
holy  child  Jesus.  For  this  purpose  it  was  not 
necessary  for  Jesus  to  announce  this  his  passion 
with  so  much  solemnity,  to  consecrate  it  by  the 
sacramental  cup,  and  to  set  the  highest  value  on 
his  obedience  to  God  for  the  eternal  salvation  of 
his  people.  This  obedience  to  God,  even  to  the 
most  excruciating  death,  was  the  offering  that  he 


SERMONS.  285 

brought  his  Father,  because  his  Father  demanded 
it  for  the  salvation  of  mankind :  he  was  the  lamb 
of  God,  which  took  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 

We  are  permitted,  my  hearers,  to  form  human 
ideas  of  sublime  and  divine  things,  and  by  this 
means  to  bring  God's  unsearchable  ways,  as  it  were, 
nearer  to  the  sphere  of  our  apprehension,  if  only 
we  do  not  substitute  our  wisdom  for  that  of  God, 
and  beside  it  despise  no  higher  light.  But  when 
we  place  vividly  before  our  imagination  the  divine 
Saviour,  in  the  whole  compass  of  his  fearful  and 
excruciating  sufferings,  and  in  his  inimitable  great- 
ness, innocence,  patience,  and  amiableness  under 
these  fearful  and  excruciating  sufferings,  does  it 
then  indeed  sound  so  strange  and  enigmatical  to 
us  that  God  is  again  reconciled  to  all  mankind  in 
him  ?  That  God,  for  his  sake,  is  willing  to  forgive 
all  mankind  what  each  has  committed  ?  That  he  is 
willing  to  bestow  this  forgiveness '  on  all  who  love 
this  Jesus,  who  swear  allegiance  and  fealty  to  him 
as  their  Lord,  who  through  him  alone  desire  to  be 
acceptable  to  God,  and,  tranquilly  relying  on  his 
merits  and  promises,  draw  near  to  God  through 
him?  Can  an  offering  for  sin  be  conceived  more 
worthy  of  God's  holiness,  wisdom,  and  goodness, 
than  this  guiltless  and  spotless  offering  of  God's 
own  and  only  Son  ?  But  we  need  not  in  imagi- 
nation pause  here,  since  God's  Word  leads  us  still 
deeper  into  these  mysteries  ;  the  necessity  of  a 
sacrifice  for  sin  is  there  exhibited  in  other  and 
clearer  lights.  And,  indeed,  that  we  without  any, 
without  such  an  intervention,  with  all  our  trans- 


286  SERMONS. 

gressions  and  misdeeds,  could  find  acceptance  and 
favor  with  God,  —  this  may  in  vain  levity  be  main- 
tained ;  with  this  one  may  flatter  himself  in  giddy 
thoughtlessness,  but  he  to  whom  the  favor  of  God 
has  become  a  necessity  cannot  believe  it.  Who  his 
own  self  bare  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree. 
For  he  hath  made  him  to  be  a  sin-offering  for  us, 
who  knew  no  sin  ;  that  ive  should  become  righteousness, 
innocence  before  God  in  him.  Who  is  there  that 
can  contemplate  the  passion  of  Jesus  with  this  in- 
fallible exposition  in  his  hand,  and  not  acknowledge 
it  with  adoration  ?  Behold  the  key  of  all  the  pro- 
found mysteries  contained  in  this  divine  appoint- 
ment ;  the  key  of  all  that  Jesus  suffered,  of  all  that 
he  uttered  before  and  in  his  passion,  of  all  that  God 
permitted  with  reference  to  him  :  he  was  the  Lamb 
of  G-od,  which  took  away  the  sin  of  the  ivorld. 

Behold  here  also  the  only  explanation  of  the 
blessed  words  uttered  on  the  cross :  It  is  accom- 
plished. All  that  Jesus  underwent  he  had  himself 
testified  must  happen  to  him.  Not  only  had  it  been 
ordained  in  the  council  of  God  what  his  sufferings 
must  be,  to  be  the  ransom  for  our  sins,  and  when 
Jesus  exclaimed,  It  is  accomplished  he  knew  that 
the  last  farthing  of  our  debt  had  been  paid :  all  that 
also  had  been  announced  before  by  the  Prophets ; 
the  pen  of  David  and  Isaiah  had,  many  centuries 
before,  delineated  it  in  all  its  features ;  thousands 
of  bleeding  victims  and  the  whole  ritual  of  Moses' 
typical  worship  had  suspended  the  tableau  of  it ;  and 
all  that  had  been  predicted,  and  all  that  had  been 
typified,  had  now  been  fulfilled.     Let,  then,  a  thick 


SERMONS.  287 

cloud  cover  Golgotha  while  the  Messiah  bears  the 
punishment  of  our  sins ;  let  the  noonday  sun  refuse 
to  shine  on  this  dismal  scene  ;  let  him  withhold  his 
burning  rays  in  order  not  to  augment  by  their  glow 
the  anguish  and  pains  of  the  sufferer  !  But  hardly 
has  this  word,  It  is  accomplished,  been  proclaimed, 
ere  nature  not  only,  trembling  and  quaking,  reveres 
this  most  solemn  of  all  moments,  but  also  the  vail 
of  the  temple  is  rent  in  twain  ;  that  which  was 
hidden  is  revealed,  for  the  blood  of  the  better  cove- 
nant has  been  brought  into  the  inaccessible  sanc- 
tuary before  God ;  and  the  dead,  issuing  from  their 
graves,  afford  demonstrative  evidence  that  life  and 
immortality  have  been  brought  to  light !  Oh  won- 
der of  holiness,  wisdom,  and  unbounded  love  !  Be- 
hold it,  my  friends,  and  believe  !  Behold  the  Lamb 
of  God,  which  taheth  aivay  the  sin  of  the  world. 

God  was  in  CJirist,  reconciling  the  world  unto 
himself,  not  imputing  their  trespasses  unto  them; 
and  hath  committed  unto  us  the  ivord  of  reconcilia- 
tion. What  a  charge  for  us !  What  a  message 
for  you  and  us,  my  hearers  !  How  shall  we  ever 
worthily  render  honor  and  thanksgiving  to  our  God 
and  Saviour,  that  the  salvation  of  our  souls  and 
our  joyful  hope  for  eternity  have  been  purchased 
at  so  dear  a  price  ?  In  no  other  way  than  by  be- 
lieving in  the  Son,  who  was  delivered  for  us,  that 
we  may  thus  actually  inherit  the  everlasting  life 
promised  us  ;  in  order  that  we  may  finally  there, 
where  no  stain  nor  imperfection  shall  any  more  be 
found,    with  the   blessed   out   of   all    peoples    and 


288  SERMONS. 

tongues,  sing  a  more  worthy  song  of  praise  to  the 
Lamb  that  was  slain,  and  hath  washed  us  in  his 
blood.     When  I  reflect  on  tlie  character  and  des- 
tiny of  those  who,  favored  with  the  revelation  of 
the  same  gospel  as  we,  yet  refuse  to  honor  Jesus 
in  his  high  dignity  and  merits  with  respect  to  man- 
kind, and  even  direct  all  their  efforts  to  snatch  from 
his  head  the  crown  which  he  obtained  through  so 
bloody  a  conflict,  then  I  feel  a  mingled  emotion  of 
terror  and  compassion  filling  my  heart,  and  I  pray 
the   more   fervently  to  God :    Thy  kingdom    come. 
But  this  is  not  the  only  offence  which  you  can  com- 
mit against  him  ;  even  when  you  with  the  conviction 
of  the  understanding  assent,  and  with  your  mouth 
confess,  that  he  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  the 
Mediator   between   God   and   men,  you   may  still 
grievously  offend  him  and  lose  the  benefits  of  his 
death ;  if  you  are  indifferent  about  Christ,  withhold 
from  him  your  love,  your  heart,  deny  by  your  deeds 
the  power  of  his  cross  to  purify  from  sin,  and  refuse 
here  on  earth  to  be  enrolled  as  citizens  of  the  king- 
dom   of    truth,    virtue,   and   love    which   he    hath 
founded  by  his  blood,  then  you  may  pertain  to  the 
external  society  that  bears  his  name,  but  let  your 
own  conscience  decide,  can  you  claim  the  privileges 
of  his  sincere  friends  and  worshippers  ?    can  you 
boldly  look  forward  to  the  appearance  of  him  who 
has  said,  Not  every  one  that  saiih  unto  me,  Lord, 
Lord,  shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven;  but  he 
that  doeth  the  will  of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven  f 
O  ye,  who,  enticed  and  ensnared  by  the  seduc- 
tiveness of  sin  and   lust,  forget   and  neglect  your 


SERMONS.  289 

sacred  obligations  to  the  Redeemer  of  mankind, 
contemplate  the  suffering  Jesus ;  behold  what  he 
did  for  you  that  you  also  might  have  something  to 
devote  to  him  ;  hear  him  as  from  his  cross  address- 
ing you:  Me  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlast' 
ing  life  :  and  he  that  is  disobedient  to  the  Son,  shall 
not  see  life ;  but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him. 
Fall,  with  humble  confession  of  your  guilt,  at  his 
feet,  and  the  single  word,  uttered  from  the  depths 
of  your  heart,  Lord,  remember  me  also  in  thy  king- 
dom, shall  cause  you,  too,  to  receive  the  answer,  In 
due  time  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  paradise. 

Friends  of  Jesus,  to  whom  he  is  precious  above 
all  that  you  have  or  hold  dear,  behold  the  cross  of 
your  Saviour,  that  your  love  may  constantly  become 
more  lively,  efficacious,  fervent,  and  never  cool ! 
With  your  eye  fixed  on  the  cross  of  Jesus,  fight 
valiantly  against  sin,  and  abhor  that  for  which  he 
so  painfully  atoned !  With  your  eye  fixed  on  the 
cross  of  Jesus,  exercise  yourselves  in  every  virtue, 
in  all  obedience  and  submission  to  God,  of  which 
he  gave  so  glorious  an  example  !  With  your  eye 
fixed  on  the  cross  of  Jesus,  you  see  the  calamities 
of  life  approach,  all  foundations  overthrown,  and 
the  future  overcast  with  a  dark  cloud  ;  but  your 
heart  is  not  disquieted,  for  suffering  with  him  you 
shall  also  with  him  triumph  !  With  your  eye  fixed 
on  the  cross  of  Jesus,  resigned  you  see  death  draw 
near,  and  rejoice  to  meet  him :  the  Lamb  of  God 
has  taken  aivay  the  sin  of  the  ivorld,  and  nothing 
shall  separate  me  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in 
Christ  Jesus.  Amen. 
19 


290  SERMONS. 


SERMON  VI. 

JESUS,   THE    LIGHT   OF    THE   WORLD. 

I  am  the  light  of  the  world.  —  John  viii.  12. 
PRAYER. 

Infinitely  wise,  Almighty,  and  merciful  God, 
who  dwellest  in  inaccessible  light,  who  art  thyself 
light  and  in  whom  is  no  darkness,  from  whom 
alone  cometh  down  every  good  gift  and  every  per- 
fect gift.  We  thank  thee  that  thou  hast  exalted 
us  to  the  rank  of  rational  creatures,  who  can  come 
to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  and  by  the  truth  be 
made  free.  We  thank  thee,  above  all,  that  in  those 
things  which  it  is  most  needful  for  us  to  know, 
thou  hast  not  left  us  without  thine  own  divine 
instruction ;  that  thou  hast  sent  thy  Son  with  the 
word  of  truth  on  his  lips,  with  the  Spirit  of  truth 
within  him,  as  the  light  of  the  world,  to  make 
known  unto  us  who  thou  art,  what  thou  wilt  be 
to  us,  and  what  thou  requirest  us  to  be  for  thee. 
This  could  no  one  declare  to  us  but  he  who  had 
heard  it  of  thee,  who  had  seen  it  with  thee ;  and 
therefore  didst  thou  permit  him  to  come  to  us  from 
heaven,  that  we,  believing  in  him  and  relying  on 
his  utterances,  might  have  eternal  life,  by  knowing 
thee   the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom 


SERMONS.  291 

thou  hast  sent.  What  shall  we  render  unto  thee 
for  this  the  most  excellent  of  all  benefits  ?  Oh,  that 
we  might  all  feel  how  sacred  are  our  obligations  to 
thee  and  to  him  whom  thou  hast  sent,  to  an- 
nounce to  us  the  way  of  salvation,  and  to  open  to 
us  that  way  by  his  own  precious  blood,  that  no 
guilt  and  transgression,  however  great  and  mani- 
fold, should  necessarily  separate  us  from  thee ! 
Thou  requirest  only  that  we  neglect  not  thy  love, 
that  we  close  not  our  eyes  against  thy  divine  light, 
that  we  make  use  of  thy  benefits  and  of  the  salva- 
tion procured  for  us,  and  trifle  not  away  the  heaven 
of  eternal  glory  for  transient  earthly  enjoyment. 
Gracious  God,  preserve  us  from  this  fate,  and 
grant,  that,  with  salutary  impressions,  we  may  re- 
flect on  ourselves  and  eternal  things.  Make  us  to 
this  end  attentive  to  the  instruction  of  thy  Son ; 
cause  us  to  feel  all  its  heavenly  power  and  worth, 
and  grant  us  the  influence  of  that  enlightening  and 
sanctifying  Spirit,  whom  Jesus  also  procured  when 
he  tasted  death  for  us. 

Let  our  meeting  in  this  place  be  blessed ;  let  our 
attention,  and  the  disposition  of  our  minds,  be  in- 
terested, reverential,  and  elevated,  as  it  becomes 
Christians  who  offer  homage  to  their  God  and  Re- 
deemer. Give  the  preaching  of  the  Word  entrance 
into  our  minds ;  animate  the  teacher  with  holy  zeal 
to  instruct,  to  exhort,  and  to  edify  us.  Accept  with 
complacency  the  sacrifice  of  our  prayers,  our  thanks- 
giving, and  songs  of  praise  ;  and  hear  us,  when,  with 
the  words  of  him  whom  thou  hearest  always,  we 
say  to  thee,  Our  Father,  etc. 


292  SERMONS. 

I  am  the  light  of  the  world.  What  a  declaration  ! 
Who,  what  sage  of  antiquity,  ever  said  this  of  him- 
self? Was  this  no  vain  assumption  ?  Or,  if  he 
who  thus  spake  was  indeed  the  light  of  the  world, 
would  it  not  have  been  better  that  others  should 
say  it  of  him,  than  that  he  should  say  it  of  himself? 
My  hearers,  he  who  spoke  thus  wras  Jesus.  He 
could,  he  alone  might,  testify  this  of  himself;  the 
whole  argument  of  my  discourse  will,  I  hope,  serve 
as  a  proof  of  this.  But  he  must  also  speak  thus ; 
he,  the  Messiah,  the  great  and  only  Redeemer  of 
his  people,  must  make  himself  known  as  such.  But 
not  as  the  unhappy  nation  that  dreamed  only  of 
external  liberation,  of  prosperity  and  greatness ;  not 
as  it  represented  to  itself  this  Deliverer.  From 
these  earthly  thoughts  he  must,  could  it  be,  free 
them,  and  carry  them  up  higher,  to  expect  from 
him,  who  was  promised  to  the  fathers,  better  than 
temporal  blessings ;  to  behold  in  him  the  author  of 
spiritual  and  eternal  happiness,  and  this  not  for  them 
alone,  but  for  all  mankind  on  the  whole  earth.  For 
this  reason  he  said  to  them  what  no  one  had  ever 
dared,  what  no  one  before  him  could  or  might  say, 
I  am  the  light  of  the  world.  Oh,  had  they  been 
susceptible  of  great  sentiments,  of  noble  national 
pride  ;  had  they  not  rested  in  superficial  views  of  the 
ancient  predictions,  instead  of  penetrating  into  their 
hidden  and  sublime  meaning  ;  how  would  this  lan- 
guage have  attracted  their  attention,  quickened 
their  interest ;  how  would  such  a  discourse  have 
enchained  them  !  But  no,  blinded  men,  a  Messiah 
with  sword  in  hand  would  have  been  more  wel- 


SERMONS.  293 

come  to  them,  than  he  who  came  with  the  words  of 
eternal  life. 

When  Jesus  calls  himself  the  light  of  the  world, 
this  declaration  has  specific  reference  to  him  as 
Teacher,  who  has  irradiated  the  world  with  the 
light  of  knowledge.  Still  more  specific  as  religious 
Teacher,  who  has  with  infallible  certainty  made 
known  the  being  and  perfections  of  the  Infinite,  God's 
will  and  disposition,  man's  relation  to  him,  man's 
hope  and  expectation  from  him,  as  far  as  human 
apprehension  can  reach.  Never  did  Jesus  put  him- 
self forward  as  a  teacher  of  human  sciences ;  even 
religious  truth  was  not  presented  by  him  as  a  spec- 
ulative science,  which  is  only  to  be  comprehended, 
known,  and  proved,  but  as  an  object  of  practice,  as 
doctrine  of  blessedness.  For  this  reason  he  imme- 
diately subjoins  to  this  declaration  :  He  that  follow- 
eth  me  shall  not  walk  in  darkness,  but  shall  have  the 
light  of  life.  To  this  we  are  also  naturally  conducted 
by  the  emblem  which  the  Saviour  employs,  which  is 
derived  from  the  sun,  the  proper  light  of  the  world : 
what  the  sun  is  to  the  earth,  that  am  I,  that  is  my 
doctrine  to  mankind.  But  is  it  only  the  clear, 
radiating  brightness  of  the  sun  in  which  we  rejoice  ? 
Is  it  not  also  its  cherishing  warmth  ?  Is  it  not  also 
that  it  is  the  source  of  fruitfulness  and  life  ?  So  the 
religious  truth  taught  by  Jesus  is  the  sunlight  for 
mankind. 

You  know,  my  hearers,  there  is  but  one  sun  for 
our  globe ;  so  there  has  also  been  but  one  Teacher 
of  religion  for  mankind  such  as  was  Jesus.  Far  be 
it  from  me  to  bring  the  doctrine  of  Jesus  into  oppo- 


294  SERMONS. 

sition  to  that  of  the  Old  Testament,  or  even  to  make 
any  comparison  to  the  prejudice  of  the  latter.  It  is 
the  same  light  of  heavenly  revelation  that  shines  in 
both,  simply  modified  according  to  the  nature  and 
the  necessities  of  the  times ;  it  is  the  same  God 
who  in  time  'past  spake  unto  the  fathers  by  the  prophets, 
and  who  in  these  last  days  hath  spolten  unto  us  by  his 
Son.  To  others  also  I  leave  it  to  assert  that  in  the 
heathen  world,  on  important  dogmas  of  religion,  no 
lioht  whatever  had  arisen,  but  that  in  it  all  remained 
night  and  darkness,  until  the  gospel  was  everywhere 
preached.  But  this  I  assert  with  boldness,  that  no 
teacher  has  ever  so  spoken  on  God  and  religion, 
on  virtue  and  human  happiness,  so  intelligibly,  so 
purely,  with  so  much  certainty,  with  so  much  force 
of  insinuating  persuasion,  as  has  been  done  by  Jesus; 
that  all  which  the  greatest  sages  of  antiquity  have 
produced  respecting  these  things  is  twilight  in  con- 
trast with  the  full  noon,  yea,  differs  from  it  as 
human  from  divine  doctrine  ;  and  as  Jesus  publicly 
said  to  his  countrymen,  we  can  also  in  the  fullest 
extent  say  of  him,  he,  and  he  alone  was  the  light 
of  the  tvorld. 

I  know,  my  hearers,  that  I  am  speaking  to  an  as- 
sembly of  Christians,  for  whom  it  is  not  necessary 
formally  to  prove  this  ;  but  to  bring  it  more  un- 
folded in  certain  particulars  before  the  mind  can  be 
of  manifold  advantage  to  us,  for  the  strengthening 
of  our  faith,  for  satisfaction  to  the  heart,  that  sets 
value  on  its  Christian  privileges,  and  for  worthy  and 
social  honoring  of  Him  who  sent  us  this  Teacher 
from  heaven  to  make  us  wise  to  salvation.      Let 


SERMONS.  295 

us  then  apply  ourselves  to  this  meditation ;  and  as  it 
is  difficult  in  treating  a  subject  of  so  great  extent, 
neither  to  wander  in  the  multitude  of  matters  nor 
to  lose  one's  self  in  digressions,  let  us,  for  the  guid- 
ance of  our  thoughts,  avail  ourselves  of  the  emblem 
which  Jesus  employs,  that  of  the  sun,  as  it,  accord- 
ing to  what  we  have  just  said,  enlightens  and 
cherishes  and  makes  fruitful ;  and  let  us  contem- 
plate the  all-surpassing  excellence  of  Jesus'  doctrine 
under  these  three  different  aspects,  as  it  is  a  doc- 
trine, I.  for  the  understanding;  II.  for  the  heart; 
III.  for  the  life.  May  it  be  granted  us  so  to  speak 
and  so  to  hear,  that  our  apprehension  may  become 
clearer,  our  affections  purer,  and  our  whole  life  a 
sacrifice  of  thankfulness,  pleasing  to  God.     Amen. 

I.  First :  Jesus  was  the  light  of  the  world,  as  he 
alone  communicated  to  mankind  that  religious  knowl- 
edge  which  was  necessary  and  satisfactory  to  the 
understanding.  Let  us  test  this  by  the  four  prin- 
cipal characteristics  of  such  a  religious  knowledge  : 
completeness,  purity,  clearness,  and  certainty. 

Who  will  not  gladly  acknowledge  that  we  find 
in  the  writings  of  the  ancient  philosophers  many  ex- 
cellent ideas  and  glorious  utterances  respecting  the 
Divine  Being,  his  unity,  perfections,  supremacy,  and 
government  of  the  world  ?  respecting  the  human 
spirit,  its  individual  existence  and  working,  sublime 
capacity,  and  continuance  after  death,  in  a  life  of 
immortality  ?  Ideas  and  utterances,  by  which  they 
have,  in  the  judgment  of  all  unprejudiced  persons, 
deserved  and  maintained  their  reputation  for  wis- 
dom.   But  what  is  there  of  all  this  that  is  lacking  in 


296  SEPwMONS. 

the  doctrine  of  Jesus  ?  What  great  and  sublime 
idea  respecting  the  Supreme  Being  and  man's  des- 
tination for  this  or  the  future  life,  that  is  not  also 
found  there  ?  Yea,  what  is  scattered  in  many 
writings  of  different  ones  of  those  ancient  preachers 
of  wisdom,  of  different  periods  of  time,  we  find  there 
together,  without  missing  anything  of  what  is  true 
or  important ;  so  that  this  doctrine  can  be  styled  the 
summary  of  all  that  is  good  or  great,  respecting 
God  and  man,  that  has  ever  proceeded  from  human 
lips  or  pen.  Is  this  much,  my  hearers,  —  and  that 
this  testimony  may  be  exaggerated  can  only  be  said 
by  him  who  has  not  even  a  superficial  knowledge 
of  Christianity,  —  is  this  much,  what  then,  when 
everything  in  which  the  most  perfect  doctrine  of 
religion,  as  it  was  before  Jesus,  fell  short  in  connec- 
tion and  completeness,  is  sought,  and  not  in  vain,  in 
his  doctrine  ?  For  in  it  the  knowledge  of  the  Most 
High,  and  of  the  rational  creature,  not  merely,  as 
everywhere  else,  each  independent  of  the  other,  but 
above  all,  and  on  which  alone  in  religion  its  value 
depends,  the  reciprocal  relation  between  God  and 
man,  is  exhibited.  All  that  we  can  and  would  and 
must  know  of  God  not  only,  but  also  of  his  disposi- 
tion towards  us ;  what  his  wisdom  has  devised,  what 
his  holiness  demands,  what  his  goodness  promises, 
what  his  righteousness  gives  cause  to  fear  ;  all  this 
we  find  in  this  doctrine  without  reserve,  without 
defect  or  gap,  so  presented  that  the  understanding 
can  comprehend  its  connections  and  relations,  and 
admire  the  most  magnificent  whole  of  divine  truths. 
Where  is  the  sage  who  so  discovered  this,  revealed 


SERMONS.  297 

it  to  his  contemporaries,  and  founded  such  a  school 
of  genuine  and  complete  religious  knowledge  ? 
Show  him  to  me,  and  I  will  denominate  him  the 
enlightener  of  the  world. 

But  a  religious    system  which  would   enlighten 
mankind  must    not    only   contain    truth,  yea,   the 
whole  truth  ;  it  must  also  contain  nothing  but  truth, 
and  to  its  principal  characteristics  belongs  dlso  imriiy . 
I  will  not,  my  hearers,  insist  on  the  errors  of  even 
the  best  religious  systems  before  the  revelation  of 
Jesus'  doctrine,   though  they   concerned  the  most 
important  objects  of  knowledge,  of  which  it  will  suf- 
fice  to  adduce  the  differing  and  confused  ideas  re- 
specting the  creation  or  formation  of  all  things,  al- 
though those  errors  spread  a  mist  over  all  the  truth 
that   may  be   perceived  in  their   teachings,  which 
causes  even  the  light  to  become  twilight.     But  of 
him  who  would  enlighten  his  countrymen  only,  not 
to  speak  of  mankind,  of  him  it  may  be  required 
not  to  spare,  but  to  attack,  publicly  to  controvert 
and  eradicate  gross  misapprehensions  dishonoring  to 
God  and  man.      And  where  were  they  who  dared 
expose  the  absurdity  of  polytheism,  the  superstition 
of  augury,  and  the  deceit  of  the  oracles,  open  the 
eyes  of  the  multitude,  and  free  them  from  the  fetters 
of  priestcraft?      No,  it  was  not  enough  that  they 
ridiculed  these  things  among  their  friends,  if  they 
lacked  the  courage  to  defy  the  danger,  or  the  wis- 
dom and  energy,  in  spite  of  the  hottest  persecution, 
to  plant  triumphantly  the  banner  of  the  truth.     Oh, 
how  far  behind  Jesus  do  they  then  stand ;  in  whose 
teachings  is  not  onlv  found  nothing  that  is  false  or 


298  SERMONS. 

impure,  nothing  defiled  with  superstition  or  popular 
error,  but  who  also  left  no  false  notion,  however 
deeply  rooted,  untouched  ;  with  the  meekness  of  wis- 
dom interested  himself  in  the  misguided  multitude, 
and  unmasked,  in  the  midst  of  the  temple,  the  se- 
ducers of  the  people ;  who  was  willing  to  sacrifice 
his  life  for  the  truth,  and  who  effaced  with  his  blood 
the  stains  that  obscured  its  light ! 

But  were  it  even  that  the  doctrine  of  religion 
which  was  before  Jesus  had  not  lacked  in  com- 
pleteness and  purity,  yet  it  missed  that  clearness 
which  is  required  to  kindle  for  the  world  the  light 
of  knowledge.  It  was  almost  entirely  interwoven 
in  philosophical  systems,  and  comprised  and  involved 
in  the  mutual  conflict  of  the  schools  ;  it  was  pre- 
sented, not  in  the  language  of  daily  life,  intelligible 
to  all,  but  in  sublime  apothegms  or  profound  reason- 
ings ;  to  the  scholar  in  his  study  it  might  be  much  ; 
to  those  who  most  need  religion  it  was  nothing ; 
it  was  sparks  that  were  seen  to  gleam  here  and 
there,  no  light  of  truth  that  could  irradiate  nations. 
How  elevated  above  that  array  of  words  and  that 
subtile  scholasticism  is  the  simple  instruction  of 
Jesus,  who  knew  how  to  reveal  the  mysteries  of 
God's  being  in  intelligible  language,  and  to  elucidate 
the  secrets  of  the  heavenly  kingdom  by  familiar 
comparisons  ;  who  unfolded  the  conclusion  of  ab- 
stract treatises  and  the  argument  of  whole  volumes 
in  a  few  distinct  words:  God  is  a  Spirit,  and  they 
that  worship  him  must  ivorship  him  in  sjyirit  and  in 
truth.  Fear  not  them  ivhich  hill  the  body,  but  are 
not  able  to  kill  the  soul ;  who  was  the  teacher  not 


SERMONS.  299 

only  of  a  few  select  pupils,  but  of  the  people,  who 
hung  on  his  lips  because  no  word  was  lost  to  them, 
who  by  thousands  followed  him  over  sea  and  land, 
even  into  the  heart  of  the  desert,  forgot  meat  and 
drink  to  hear  him,  and  parted  from  him  with  the 
testimony  on  their  lips,  Never  man  spake  like  this 
man  ! 

Finally,  in  a  doctrine  which  should  contain  for 
all  mankind  the  light  of  religious  knowledge,  the 
principal  thing  is  infallible  certainty.  But  where 
shall  we  find  this  ?  With  such  sages  among  men, 
who  make  their  sentiments  the  standard  of  truth, 
and  endeavor  to  confirm  those  sentiments  by  co- 
gency of  argument,  but  whose  proofs  are  contra- 
dicted by  others ;  whose  systems  are  exchanged 
for  one  another,  the  one  displacing  the  other ;  and 
they  who  were  deified  by  their  contemporaries  are 
pitied  by  the  next  generation  for  their  short-sighted 
subtlety  ?  No,  the  Teacher,  who  shall  be  the  light 
of  the  world,  must  speak  with  authority  and  be  able 
to  demand  faith  in  his  utterances.  No  blind  faith, 
which  would  forbid  to  examine  the  authority  of  the 
speaker,  or  to  test  his  sayings  by  the  demands  of 
the  understanding,  or  by  the  dictate  of  the  moral 
sense.  He  must  indeed  preach  as  having  authority, 
and  not  like  the  scribes ;  but  his  instruction  must 
also  bear  the  internal  marks  of  truth,  vindicate  it- 
self to  the  reason,  and  commend  itself  to  the  con- 
science. And  were  not  the  sublime  truths  which 
the  philosophers  of  antiquity  announced  thus  re- 
vealed to  them  first  in  their  mysteries  with  great 
solemnity,  and  as  secrets,   whilst  they  afterwards 


300  SERMONS. 

unfolded  them  in  their  writings  as  the  doctrine  of 
wisdom  ?  But  compare  now  with  this  authority 
of  mysterious  tradition  the  public  and  authoritative 
teaching  of  Jesus.  When  he  spoke  of  heavenly 
things,  or  on  the  duty  and  destination  of  man,  it  was 
as  if  a  mist  cleared  up  before  the  understanding, 
a  curtain  were  drawn  aside  from  before  the  mind,  as 
if  one  were  admitted  to  the  beholding  of  eternal 
truth.  Corrupt  magnates  could  call  his  authority 
into  question,  because  they  preferred  darkness  to 
light.  Scribes  and  Pharisees  he  might  point  to  the 
miracles  which  he  performed  ;  but  for  the  upright 
in  Israel  it  was  sufficient  to  hear  him  to  cause  them 
irresistibly  to  feel :  this  Teacher  is  of  God  ;  what 
he  has  heard  in  heaven  he  announces  on  earth. 
Go,  my  hearers,  in  thought,  back  to  Palestine  as  it 
was  eighteen  centuries  ago,  despised  and  humil- 
iated, less  even  by  the  domination  of  the  Romans, 
than  by  blindness,  superstition,  frivolity  of  mind, 
and  hypocrisy.  In  that  land  and  among  that  peo- 
ple lives  a  man  in  mean  condition  of  life,  educated 
in  no  school  of  science,  thirty  years  unnoticed 
among  the  rudest  portion  of  his  countrymen  ;  at 
once  he  appears  as  teacher,  and  all  are  amazed 
and  struck  dumb  at  his  wisdom ;  persuasion  flows 
from  his  lips,  whether  he  purifies  the  religion  of 
the  fathers  from  errors  and  exhibits  it  unadulter- 
ated and  undegenerated,  or  brings  new  truths  to 
light,  gives  an  insight  into  heavenly  things,  and 
opens  prospects  which  for  ages  and  generations  had 
been  concealed.  Whence  has  the  Galilean  ac- 
quired this  knowledge,  so  pure,  so  sublime,  so  clear 


SERMONS.  301 

and  unclouded,  which  obscures  all  the  light  of  the 
ancient  sages  ?  Whence  this  freedom  of  soul  and 
sense,  to  raise  himself  above  prejudice  and  popular 
opinion,  and  to  spare  no  seducers,  though  they 
occupy  the  seat  of  Moses  ?  Whence  this  triumph 
of  pure  simplicity,  without  pomp  of  words  or  osten- 
tation, simply  supported  by  innocence  and  love  ? 
It  was  because  he  came  from  heaven,  and  as  am- 
bassador of  Him  who  is  the  only  and  eternal  source 
of  truth,  respecting  God  and  divine  things  he  alone 
could  speak  with  infallible  certainty,  because  he  was 
the  light  of  the  world. 

II.  If  the  doctrine  of  Jesus  be  in  this  respect 
like  the  light  of  the  sun,  that  all  mankind  need 
simply  open  their  eyes  to  be  irradiated  by  it  with 
the  light  of  religious  knowledge,  it  can  with  equal 
propriety  be  compared  to  it  with  respect  to  its 
cherishing  warmth,  as  it  preaches  its  sublime  and 
consolatory  truths,  not  merely  to  the  intellect,  but 
also  to  the  heart.  What  a  religion  for  the  heart 
is,  needs  indeed  little  but  yet  some  explanation  lest 
we  should  remain  clingino;  to  mere  sounds.  It  is  a 
religion  which  is  designed  not  only  for  thinking, 
but  also  for  sensitive  beings,  the  belief  and  prac- 
tice of  which  fill  the  bosom  with  pure  and  pleasant 
emotions,  which  comforts,  which  makes  thankful 
and  joyful,  which  teaches  how  to  live  and  die  with 
composure,  in  a  word,  a  religion  which  is  at  the 
same  time  a  doctrine  of  blessedness.  I  will  not, 
my  hearers,  compare  in  this  respect  the  doctrine  of 
Jesus  with  that  of  the  ancient  sages  of  the  world ; 
the    distance   here   is  too  great   and   incalculable. 


302  SERMONS. 

Such  a  comparison,  moreover,  is  not  necessary  to 
make  it  evident  and  palpable  that  it  alone  possesses 
that  all-animating  glow  which  in  the  moral  world, 
like  the  sun  in  the  world  of  nature,  imparts  to  all 
life  and  joy.  Let  us  consider  this  in  certain  par- 
ticulars, and  for  this  purpose  contemplate  the  rela- 
tion of  Jesus'  doctrine  of  religion  to  our  external, 
to  our  moral  condition,  and  to  our  expectations  for  the 
future. 

We  live  in  a  world  created  by  God,  where  all 

that  we  see  is  his  property,  and  all  that  we  enjoy 

his  gift.     We  ourselves  are  equally  dependent  on 

him,  as  all  that  surrounds  us ;   it  is  his  breath  by 

which  we  live,  and  when  he  withdraws  it,  then  we 

die.      Our  lot  on  earth  is  subject  to    innumerable 

changes.     When  we  awake  in  the    morning,  glad 

and  cheerful,  we  know  not  whether   the    evening 

shall  not  find  us  plunged  into  sorrow  and  weeping. 

Our  property,  our  relatives  and  dear  pledges,  the 

welfare  of  our  body  and  our  mind,  all  are  involved 

in  this  vicissitude.     We  are  in  need  of  all  things, 

and  there  is  nothing  of  which  the  slightest  accident 

cannot  deprive  us  ;    yea,    in    our  whole  existence 

here  below  nothing  is  certain,  save  only  uncertainty. 

Behold  our  external  condition  !     Is  it  possible  that 

in  such  a  condition  it  should  be  indifferent  to  our 

heart  how  we   must   represent   to    ourselves    that 

powerful  Being  in  whose  hand  we    are,  with   all 

that  is  ours  and  with  all  that  is  dear  to  us  ?     Him 

who   rules   the   world   according   to   his   pleasure, 

and   at   whose   beck    everything    must    stand    or 

fall !     Enter  the  school  of  Jesus,  and  there  hear  by 


SERMONS.  303 

what  name  you  may  name  and  address  that  mighty 
Being,  — it  is  the  name  of  Father,  Father  in  heaven ! 
Are  you  acquainted  with  a  more  tender  relation 
than  this,  more  honoring  to  the  insignificant  inhab- 
itant of  earth  ?     Whose  heart  does  not  open  with 
gratitude,  with  the  confidence  of  love,  at  the  mere 
thought:    He  who  has  his  seat  above  clouds  and 
stars,  he  is  my  Father!     And  would  a  father  be 
father  if  he   cared  not  for   his   children  ?     But  of 
such  a  care  as  is  the  divine  care  for  the  children 
of  men,  and  in  connection  with  that,  of  such  an 
unlimited  dominion  as  God  exercises  in  the  king- 
dom of  nature,  in  which  nothing  is  too  mean  for  his 
all-embracing  administration,  —  of  that  we  should 
have  no  idea,  and  we  should   not   dare  expect  it, 
if  the  infallible  doctrine  of  Jesus  had  not   raised 
it  above  all  doubt.     Without  the  will  of  Him  who 
causes  his  sun  to  rise  in  the  heavens,  not  even  a 
sparrow  falls   to    the   earth;    He  who   causes  the 
stars    to    revolve   in   their    orbits,   feeds    also    the 
fowls  of  heaven  out  of  his  storehouses,  and  clothes 
the  lilies  of  the  field.     According  to  this  standard 
our  Lord  would  have  us  estimate  the  care  of  the 
heavenly  Father  for  his   children;    and  when  he 
can  find  words  no  more  to  exhibit  the  illimitable- 
ness  of  that  care  from  which  nothing,   nothing,  is 
excluded,   and  has   recourse  to  imagery,  he  then 
says,  even  the  hairs  of  your  head  are  all  numbered  ! 
What  a  doctrine  of  God,  the  Creator  and  Ruler 
of  the  universe !     No,  so  does  not  the  sun  cherish 
the  earth,  as  it  refreshes  the  heart  of  the  needy 
mortal ! 


804  SERMONS. 

We  are  accustomed  to  separate  in  our  thoughts 
our  external  and  our  moral  condition  from  each  other, 
to  aid  our  contemplation  of  the  whole  ;  but  they  are 
closely  united,  and,  as  it  were,  melted  together  in  us. 
We  should  not  then  have  abused  this  distinction,  to 
place  the  heavenly  Father  in  such  a  light,  as  if  the 
moral  character  of  his  children  were  to  him  in 
greater  or  less  degree  indifferent ;  as  if  he  who 
causes  his  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil  and  the  good, 
viewed  both  with  the  same  eye  ;  as  if  he  were 
like  a  father  that  spoils  his  children  by  foolish 
indulgence ;  and  as  if  the  evil  and  rebellious  child 
had  nothing  to  fear  from  him.  Alas,  we  may  be 
quieted  by  such  deceitful  representations  ;  but  our 
conscience  rises  up  against  them  whenever  we 
seriously  reflect  on  our  state  before  God ;  it  rises 
up  against  them  in  the  hour  of  death  !  Even  the 
love-breathing  doctrine  of  Jesus  knows  the  distinc- 
tion between  righteous  and  unrighteous,  between  a 
time  of  forbearance  and  a  time  of  retribution  !  We 
hope,  then,  as  sinners  for  pardon,  for  remission  of 
well-deserved  punishment,  and,  if  we  are  not  reck- 
less, on  this  hope  alone  depends  our  peace  of  mind. 

But  wherever  we  may  have  sought  grounds  for 
this  hope,  whether  in  sacrifices  and  gifts  on  the 
altar,  or  in  unwept  tears  of  repentance  and  fruit- 
lessly undertaken  self  -  amendment,  or  with  what- 
ever the  deceived  heart  may  have  flattered  itself, 
Jesus'  doctrine  alone  has,  to  the  full  satisfaction  of 
the  mind,  shown  that  the  heavenly  Father  will,  that 
the  heavenly  Judge  can  forgive.  This  is  now  no  bare 
conjecture,  no  expectation,  which  may  deceive ;  he 


SERMONS.  305 

who  came  from  God  and  was  of  God  has  taught 
us  to  pray  with  confidence :  Father,  forgive  us  our 
debts.  He  has  done  infinitely  more,  that  he  might 
be  the  true  and  alone  beneficent  light  of  the  world. 
He  has  bled  as  the  propitiatory  sacrifice  for  sin,  and 
when  about  to  meet  death  said,  My  body  is  broken  for 
you,  and  my  blood  is  shed  for  you.  O  light,  O  com- 
fort and  joy  for  the  dejected  and  disquieted  mind, 
now  can  we  again  raise  our  eyes  to  heaven,  and 
go  with  boldness  to  the  throne  of  the  reconciled 
Father,  by  faith  in  the  Son,  who  has  paid  the  ran- 
som of  our  souls  !  What  a  doctrine  of  pardon ! 
No,  so  does  not  the  sun  cherish  the  earth,  as  this 
doctrine  refreshes  the  heart  burdened  with  guilt ! 

Behold,  also,  obstacles  removed  that  could  obstruct 
our  prospect  for  the  future  ;  behold  heaven  opened 
for  the  guilty  and  lost  at  the  end  of  their  earthly 
course  !  In  all  ages  have  the  good  and  virtuous 
among  men  directed  their  eyes  thither,  as  to  the 
fatherland  of  virtue,  and  contemplated  it  as  the 
most  pleasant  of  their  dreams,  that  they  should 
some  time  land  there.  But  the  light  has  arisen, 
and  it  is  no  longer  a  dream  that  a  rest  is  prepared 
for  the  friend  of  God.  It  is  no  longer  speculation 
of  the  mind,  alas !  so  often  the  sport  of  illusion  ; 
no  reasoning  resting  on  the  voice  of  an  inward 
necessity,  which  in  so  many  is  not  heard  ;  or  on  the 
nature  of  our  rational  and  excellent  spirit,  of  which 
we  know  so  little ;  it  is  promise  of  God !  it  is 
announcement  from  heaven,  made  by  Jesus,  pro- 
cured at  the  price  of  his  blood,  and  confirmed  by 
his   glorious   resurrection    from   the    dead :     there 

20 


306  SERMONS. 

awaits  us  an  eternal,  blessed  life  beyond  the  grave  ! 
What  that  blessedness  shall  be,  how  should  we  be 
able  to  comprehend  this  in  this  tabernacle  of  clay  ? 
But  what  are  the  images  by  which  it  is  represented 
to  the  pure  in  heart  ?  The  inheritance  of  a  heav- 
enly kingdom  ;  dwelling  together  in  a  paternal  man- 
sion above  ;    one  with   him  who  has  prepared    for 

us  our  places  there,  in   the  beholding  of  God 

But  who  can  describe  the  beatific  raptures  which 
are  promised  us  by  Jesus,  when  with  his  own  hand 
he  shall  conduct  us  into  the  heavenly  mansion  ? 
What  a  doctrine  of  immortality  !  No,  so  can  no 
sunlight  cherish  the  earth,  as  this  doctrine  refreshes 
and  blesses  the  heart  loosened  from  earth  ! 

III.  I  have  come  to  the  last  part  of  my  discourse. 
Jesus  is  the  light  of  the  tvorld,  because  his  doctrine 
not  only  enlightens  the  mind  and  inflames  the 
heart,  but  also  purifies  the  life  ;  as  the  rays  of  the 
sun,  which  illumine  and  warm  the  earth,  also  com- 
municate to  it  the  blessing  of  fruitfulness. 

If  the  doctrine  of  Jesus  enjoined  and  inculcated 
no  holiness  of  life,  then  might  it,  instead  of  the  light  of 
the  world,  be  denominated  the  ruin  of  human  society. 
So  many  privileges  on  the  one  hand,  and  no  obliga- 
tions on  the  other,  who  would  not  be  amazed  at 
such  an  absurdity  ?  Peace  in  life  and  death,  impu- 
nity before  and  after  death,  and  with  it  a  life 
without  gratitude  or  love,  irreligious,  dissolute, 
with  contempt  of  the  holiest  commands,  as  if  there 
were  no  God  who  observed  us,  as  if  Jesus  had 
shed  his  blood  to  found  a  kingdom  of  vice!  were 
there  a  teacher  who  preached  this,  we  could  not, 


SERMONS.  307 

if  we  would,  believe  it;  were  lie  to  speak  the  lan- 
guage of  the  most  seductive  eloquence,  we  should 
remonstrate  with  him  :  You  are  a  liar !  and  though 
he  professed  to  come  from  heaven,  we  should  an- 
swer him  :  You  are  an  ambassador  of  hell  !  No, 
there  is  no  light  of  the  world  without  the  light  of 
virtue  ;  thus  spake  Jesus,  when  he  commanded  his 
followers  that  they  should  let  their  light  so  shine 
before  men,  that  they  might  see  their  good  works,  and 
glorify  their  Father  ivhich  is  in  heaven. 

Systems  of  morality  are  not  wanting  in  the 
writings  of  the  ancient  sages,  presented  in  select 
language,  with  choice  and  strength  of  expression. 
We  do  homage  to  their  sentiments  as  well  as  to 
their  golden  apothegms,  and  imprint  them  on  our 
memory  as  salutary  lessons.  But  the  morality  of 
Jesus  places  us  on  a  much  higher  stand-point,  exalts 
virtue  to  holiness,  and  prescribes  the  duties  which 
become  children  of  God  !  I  will  not  speak  of  its 
perfection  without  needless  severity  ;  of  its  scru- 
pulousness without  excess ;  of  its  purity  without 
superstition  ;  of  its  loveliness,  of  its  grand  aim  and 
tendency  to  form  the  inhabitant  of  earth  to  a 
citizen  of  heaven ;  of  its  humanity,  and  at  the  same 
time  its  divinity ;  where  should  I  end,  were  I  to 
enter  into  all  this  ?  But  this  I  may  not  pass  over 
in  silence  ;  who  ever  so  insisted  on  the  practice  of 
those  precepts  as  did  Jesus  ?  He  was  not  merely 
concerned  to  express  in  suitable  terms  the  divine  re- 
quirements of  virtue  and  equity,  or  to  charm  and  cap- 
tivate by  the  beautiful  simplicity  and  striking  justness 
of  his  utterances  ;  he  would  acknowledge  no  one  as 


308  SERMONS. 

his  pupil  who  refused  to  do  the  will  of  his  heavenly 
Father  ;  he  excluded  from  his  kingdom  those  who 
petulantly  neglected  the  duties  of  brotherly  love. 
By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them,  thus  he  spake  : 
Do  men  gather  grapes  of  thorns,  or  figs  of  thistles  ? 
A  good  tree  cannot  bring  forth  evil  fruit ;  every  tree 
that  bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit  is  hewn  down,  and 
cast  into  the  fire.  And  when  he  opened  his  mouth 
in  beatitudes,  it  was  the  humble,  the  meek,  the 
pure  in  heart  who  shared  in  that  blessing ! 

I  have  not  yet  said  all,  my  hearers;  I  have  not  yet 
said  that  which,  more  than  anything  else,  makes  the 
doctrine  of  Jesus  like  the  fructifying  light  of  the 
sun.  Faith  in  this  doctrine  renews  the  heart,  not 
as  by  some  secret  power,  attached  to  it  from  with- 
out, but  by  the  argument  of  that  doctrine  itself,  and 
the  relations  in  which  it  places  him  who  has  em- 
braced it  with  his  whole  heart. 

How  can  he  call  God,  not  with  the  lips,  but  with 
his  heart  and  in  truth,  Father,  without  feeling  that 
the  filial  duties  of  love  and  obedience  rest  upon  him? 
How  rejoice  in  the  friendly  guidance  of  that  heav- 
enly Father,  should  his  conscience  say  to  him  :  You 
walk,  with  heart  and  soul,  in  the  paths  of  perdition  ? 
And  when  the  gospel  says  to  him :  Thy  sins  are 
forgiven,  there  is  no  condemnation  for  thee,  heaven 
awaits  thee !  then  he  should  be  able  to  believe  this, 
and  his  heart  at  the  same  time  remain  cold,  and  not 
kindle  into  the  most  fervent  gratitude  to  God  who 
ordained  this  for  him,  to  the  Saviour  who  merited 
this  for  him !  that  he  should  not  swear  the  sacred 
oath :  To  this  God  and  this  Redeemer  will  I  live  !    I, 


SERMONS.  309 

registered  to  citizenship  in  heaven,  will  walk  as  a 
citizen  of  heaven  !  Oh,  my  beloved,  sooner  shall  all 
the  rays  of  the  sun  be  unable  to  pierce  the  iron 
crust  of  the  earth,  to  bring  a  single  grain  of  corn  to 
maturity,  than  faith  in  such  a  doctrine  bear  no 
fruits  of  righteousness,  renew  and  purify  no  hearts, 
and  unite  no  men  to  God ! 

I  have  accomplished  my  task,  my  hearers,  and  the 
doctrine  of  Jesus,  as  a  doctrine  of  religion  for  the 
mind,  the  heart,  and  the  life,  I  have  endeavored  so 
to  present  to  you  that  the  conviction  might  be 
revived  in  you  :  yes,  truly  he  was  and  is  the  light  of 
the  ivorld!  Much  I  have  been  obliged  to  pass  by, 
much  I  have  been  able  only  to  touch,  that  was 
doubly  worthy  of  a  more  ample  development.  Yet 
I  have  not  spoken  to  you  of  the  light  which  this 
doctrine  has  already  spread  over  the  world,  of  the 
incalculable  benefits  which  it  has  conferred  on  man- 
kind ;  yet  have  I  not  fixed  your  views  on  those 
joyful  and  glorious  times  when  all  nations  of  the 
earth  shall  bask  in  the  brightness  and  glow  of  that 
heavenly  light.  The  moment  that  remains  to  me 
I  can  only  employ  to  excite  you  to  prize  your 
happiness  in  being  permitted  to  walk  in  the  light  of 
the  ivorld,  and  to  make  a  thankful  use  of  it. 

Yes,  great  is  the  happiness  to  know  infallibly 
what  we  are  to  believe  and  expect  of  God ;  not  to 
be  in  these  things  dependent  on  human  teachings 
and  systems  ;  not  carried  about  in  the  whirl  of 
human  opinions,  which  assail  and  annihilate  each 
other,  fix  their  seat  one  on  the  ruins  of  the  other, 
to  be  presently  thrust  from  it  by  another.     For  not 


310  SERMONS. 

for  his  contemporaries  alone  did  Jesus  kindle  that 
light ;  and  it  is  not  obscured  or  extinguished  by  his 
disappearance  from  the  earth.  By  his  divine  Spirit 
he  caused  it  to  shine  with  equal  clearness  in  the 
hearts  of  his  confidential  pupils  ;  by  them  it  was 
spread  over  the  whole  earth,  and  in  their  writings, 
as  well  as  in  the  discourses  of  their  Master,  by  them 
faithfully  recorded,  it  shines  upon  us  with  unclouded 
brightness.  Let  us  acknowledge  the  greatness  of 
this  divine  gift  :  let  us  thank  the  Father  of  light  for 
it ;  let  us  pray  him  continually  to  uncover  our 
eyes,  that  we  may  behold  the  wonders  of  his  laiv  ;  and 
let  us  feel  with  emotion  and  alarm,  how  great  a 
judgment  would  befall  us  should  it  be  said  to  us  : 
1  will  remove  the  light  from  thy  candlestick! 

And  by  what  shall  we  better  show  our  gratitude 
than  by  making  regular  and  serious  use  of  this  great 
privilege  ?  By  exercising  ourselves  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  revelation  of  God's  grace  in  Jesus 
Christ,  and  by  constantly  strengthening  our  faith, 
and  fixing  it  on  the  immovable  foundation  laid  in 
the  gospel  ?  By  this,  that  we  guard  against  follow- 
ing a  deceptive  twilight ;  that  we  try  the  spirits, 
whether  they  be  of  God,  and  forget  not  the  declara- 
tion of  our  Lord :  If  the  light  that  is  in  thee  be 
darkness,  how  great  is  that  darkness  ?  By  this,  above 
all,  that  we  walk  as  children  of  the  light,  hate  all 
evil  works  of  darkness,  glorify  God  by  our  walk  in 
meekness  and  fear,  and  keep  our  eye  fixed  on  that 
land  of  eternal  light  where  shall  be  no  more  night, 
for  God  shall  there  be  all  in  all  ?     Amen. 


SERMONS.  311 


SERMON  VII. 
LOVE   TO   JESUS. 

Whom  having  not  seen,  ye  love.  —  1  Pet.  i.  8. 

Among  the  properties  and  peculiarities  which 
characterized  the  doctrine  of  Jesus  and  his  manner 
of  teaching  was  one  that  we  meet  with  in  no  other 
teacher,  either  before  or  after  him  ;  just  as  little  in 
those  who  spake  by  divine  authority  and  inspira- 
tion, as  in  those  sages  of  antiquity  who  ascribed 
all  their  science  and  knowledge  to  the  light  of 
reason.  I  mean  that  Jesus  exacted  of  all  who 
followed  him  and  professed  to  believe  in  him,  love, 
love  to  himself.  It  is  true,  if  any  one  deserves  love 
it  is  he  who  devotes  his  whole  life  to  the  work  of 
pointing  out  and  commending  to  others  the  way  of 
truth  and  blessedness  ;  and  if  there  is  on  earth  any 
remuneration  for  the  cares  and  sacrifices  of  a  faith- 
ful teacher,  any  encouragement  to  cause  him  to  pro- 
ceed with  unfaltering  step  in  his  arduous  course,  it 
consists  alone  in  the  love  of  those  whom  he  may 
have  been  able  to  rescue  from  error,  and  win  for 
heaven.  But  he  demands  not  that  love,  he  pre- 
scribes it  not  as  a  duty,  he  makes  it  not  the  touch- 
stone by  which  to  try  the  genuineness  of  the 
acceptance    and    the    loyalty    of    adhesion    to   the 


312  SERMONS. 

truth  known  ;  much  less  does  he  make  it  the  soul 
of  his  teaching,  and  the  highest  command  for  the 
confessors  of  his  doctrine.  And  yet  this  Jesus  did 
repeatedly,  undisguisedly,  and  forcibly ;  demanding 
a  love  which  stood  on  an  equality  with  that  of  the 
most  tender  relationships,  yea,  even  transcended  it : 
He  that  loveth  father  or  mother  more  than  me,  is  not 
worthy  of  me. 

On  this  track  he  was  followed  by  his  Apostles. 
Everywhere  and  at  all  times  they  made  confession 
of  their  love  to  their  Lord ;  in  labors  and  trials 
they  testified  that  the  love  of  Christ  constrained 
them;  to  kindle  this  pure  love  in  the  bosom  of  the 
first  Christians  was  their  most  zealous  endeavor ; 
and  it  was  the  greatest  encomium  which  they  knew 
to  bestow  on  their  congregations  :  Ye  love  Jesus! 

Now  if  Jesus  was  not  more  than  Teacher  and 
Ambassador  of  God,  then  this  sounds  strange ; 
then  his  claims  were  extravagant,  and  the  exhor- 
tations of  his  disciples  reprehensible.  So  did  no 
Moses,  no  Samuel,  no  John  the  Baptist,  in  whose 
mouth  was  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and  for  whom 
alone  they  demanded  love,  loyalty,  and  obedience. 
But  Jesus  was  also  much  more  than  one  of  these ; 
it  was  an  entirely  different  relation  that  bound  him 
to  all  whom  he  called  his  !  He  was  and  is  worthy 
of  that  love  ;  he  knew  and  knows  how  to  inspire 
that  love ;  and  love  to  him,  flowing  together  with 
love  to  his  heavenly  Father,  was  and  is,  and  will 
ever  remain,  the  highest  and  holiest  of  all  moral 
obligations,  the  foundation  and  corner-stone  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  on  earth. 


SERMONS.  313 

Herewith  would  I  occupy  your  attention,  in  this 
hour  of  religious  meditation  and  separation  ;  for 
which  purpose  may  the  God  and  Father  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  command  the  influence  of  his 
Holy  Spirit,  and  the  blessing  of  the  gospel ! 

PRAYER. 

Adorable    Supreme    Being,    source    of    all    that 
lives  and  is !     Who  can  know  thee  without  loving 
thee  ?     Who  can  think  of  thee  without   thinking 
of  a  Father,  a  Provider,  a  Guide  on  life's  journey, 
a  Preserver  in  perils,  a  Friend  in  need,  a  Rock  of 
immovable  confidence  ?     That  thou  wast  and  art ! 
As    such   hast   thou   made    thyself  known    to   our 
understanding  and  to  our  heart ;  by  the  light  of  our 
innate  knowledge,  by  the  word  of  thy  revelation, 
by  the  history  of  all  ages,  by  our  own  experience. 
Wherever  we  turn  our  eyes,  in  heaven  or  on  earth, 
or  in  the  inmost  recesses  of  our  own  mind,  every- 
where we  recognize,  in  conjunction  with  thy  great- 
ness, also  thy  amiableness,  and  thousands  of  voices 
proclaim  to  us  :  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God 
with  all  thy  heart,  with  all  thy  mind,  and  all  thy 
strength !     And  that  no  infinite   distance  between 
thee,  who  dwellest  in  heaven,  and  us,  whose  foun- 
dation is  in  the  dust,  should  hinder  us  from  conse- 
crating  to  thee   the   most  tender  affection  of  our 
hearts,  that  we    might   be    able    to   fasten   us    still 
more  closely  to  thee,  to  bind  us  still  more  firmly  to 
thee,  thou  hast  sent  thy  Son,  thy  image,  in  whom 
the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  dwelt  bodily,  into  the 
world,    and   caused    him  to  assume  our   flesh   and 


314  SERMONS. 

our  blood,  that  thou  shouldest  become  in  him  vis- 
ible and  palpable  to  us,  and  we  in  the  Son  should 
love  the  Father  and  rejoice  in  him  with  an  un- 
speakable and  glorious  joy  ! 

Adoration  and  praise  be  rendered  to  thee  for 
this  great  and  ineffable  grace,  for  this  wonder  of 
thy  compassions  respecting  us  !  It  is  a  height 
which  we  cannot  measure,  a  depth  which  we  can- 
not fathom  ;  we  fall  on  our  faces  and  exclaim  in 
thankful  adoration  :  God  is  love  !  And  should  we 
then  not  honor  the  Son  as  we  honor  the  Father, 
love  the  Son,  as  we  love  the  Father,  not  love  and 
honor  the  Father  in  the  Son  ?  Then  should  we 
certainly  reject  the  counsel  of  thy  eternal  wisdom 
for  our  salvation,  thy  thoughts  of  peace  concerning 
us,  and  should  forfeit  the  most  blessed  of  all  priv- 
ileges :  behold  how  great  love  the  Father  hath 
bestowed  upon  us,  that  we  should  be  called  chil- 
dren of  God !  Ah,  were  only  our  hearts  more 
burning  in  us,  as  often  as  we  think  of  him,  our 
Head  and  our  Lord,  our  Mediator  and  Advocate 
with  God !  as  often  as  we  speak  of  him  who 
procured  life  for  us  by  his  death  !  or  when  we 
are  called,  by  word  and  life,  to  honor  him  who 
has  made  us  partakers  of  the  citizenship  of  heaven  ! 
Forgive  us,  heavenly  Father,  the  lukewarmness 
and  insensibility  of  our  hearts,  if  to  this  moment 
we  have  been  destitute  of  love  to  Jesus  ,  the  cool- 
ing of  our  first  love,  if  he  has  ever  been  precious  to 
us.  Deeply  impress  our  hearts  with  his  unspeak- 
able amiableness  ;  revive  in  us  the  remembrance  of 
all  that  he  wTas  for  us  and  did  for  us,  that  with  the 


SERMONS.  315 

eyes  of  faith  and  love  we  may  behold  him  whom 
with  the  eyes  of  the  body  we  never  saw,  not  fear- 
ing the  glorious  appearance  of  his  coming,  but 
desiring  to  be  by  and  with  him,  and  to  see  him  as 
he  is. 

Grant  to  this  end  thy  blessing  on  our  religious 
gathering,  and  the  proclamation  of  the  Word  of  the 
everlasting  gospel.  May  love  to  Jesus  animate  the 
words  of  the  teacher,  inflame  the  hearts  of  his 
hearers,  that  both  speaker  and  hearers,  partakers 
of  the  fruit  of  the  merits  of  that  only  Redeemer 
and  Saviour,  may  stand  unblamable  before  him  in 
that  day  !     Our  Father,  etc. 

Respecting  the  writer  of  this  epistle,  the  Apostle 
Peter,    his    character  and   his  history,    I    deem   it 
needless   to    entertain    you.     You  know  him,   and 
what   in   connection  with  the  text   read  we    must 
more    particularly   recall    concerning    him  will    be 
mentioned  in  its  proper  place.     He  possessed  great 
authority  in  the  primitive  Church  of  Christ,  espe- 
cially among  the  converted  from  among  the  Jews, 
as  well  beyond  Palestine    as  within    its  bounds,  to 
which  the  occurrences  on  the  illustrious  day  of  Pen- 
tecost had  readily  given  occasion.     To  them,  there- 
fore, this  writing  is  principally  directed,  and  indeed 
to  the  dispersed  in  foreign  lands,  in  Pontus,  Galatia, 
Cappadocia,  Asia,  and  Bithynia ;    he  calls  them  the 
elect  according  to  the  foreknowledge  of  God  the  Fa- 
ther, through  sanctification  of  the  Spirit,  unto  obedi- 
ence and  sprinkling  of  the  blood   of  Jesus   Christ. 
To  Christians  already  at  the   outset  described  by 

4 


316  SERMONS. 

him  in  such  terms  he  must  indeed  ascribe  great 
privileges  and  an  exalted  station  in  the  kingdom 
of  Christ,  as  we  hear  him  do  from  the  third  verse 
of  this  chapter  to  the  twelfth  inclusive,  laying  thus 
a  firm  foundation  on  which  to  build  the  instructions, 
exhortations,  and  consolations  which  constitute  the 
argument  of  this  whole  glorious  epistle.  In  this 
description  of  the  character  and  the  expectations  of 
all  true  believers,  love  to  Jesus  must  also  find  its 
place ;  wherefore  the  Apostle  in  the  verse  from 
which  my  text  is  taken,  makes  mention  of  it  as  the 
source  of  the  purest  and  most  blessed  joy :  Whom 
having  not  seen,  ye  love  ;  in  ivhom,  though  now  ye  see 
him  not,  yet  believing,  ye  rejoice  with  joy  unspeak- 
able, and  full  of  glory. 

The  first  portion  of  these  words  will  constitute 
the  particular  matter  of  our  present  meditation. 

I.  I  shall,  first,  not  indeed  explain  the  declaration 
of  Peter,  for  proper  explanation  it  does  not  need, 
but  yet  entertain  you  briefly  on  its  meaning,  its 
design  and  force  ; 

II.  After  that  I  shall,  on  the  nature  of  love  to 
Jesus  ; 

III.  And  finally,  on  its  importance  so  endeavor 
to  speak  to  you,  that  also  our  love  to  that  amia- 
ble one  may  thereby  be  fed,  cherished,  and  con- 
firmed. 

I.  Wliom  having  not  seen,  ye  love.  In  that  part 
of  the  epistle  to  which  our  text  belongs,  and 
indeed  throughout  this  whole  composition,  reigns 
not  so  much  an  artificial  order  and  premeditated 
concatenation  of  ideas  as  a  free  outpouring  of  the 


SERMONS.  817 

mind,  whereby  one  gives  free  course  to  his  emo- 
tions and  allows  himself  to  be  borne  along  on  the 
current  of  his  feelings  ;  whereby  one  thought  dis- 
places as  it  were  another,  and  sometimes  a  single 
word  is  sufficient  to  give  a  new  turn  to  the  dis- 
course, to  depart  from  the  subject  treated  of,  or  to 
return  to  it. 

The  express  mention  of  Jesus  Christ  and  the 
revelation  of  his  .glory,  in  the  close  of  the  former 
verse,  could  therefore  alone  be  to  Peter  sufficient 
occasion  to  cause  to  follow  immediately  upon  it : 
whom  having  not  seen,  ye  love. 

They  to  whom  Peter  wrote  this  epistle  had 
thus  never  seen  Jesus  ;  being  Jews,  they  could,  how- 
ever, have  seen  him  at  the  feasts  in  Jerusalem  ;  yet 
among  the  dispersed  in  distant  lands  were  but  few 
whose  circumstances  would  often  justify  the  long 
absence  and  the  expense  which  such  a  journey 
required :  and  among  those  to  whom  Peter  wrote 
there  may  perhaps  have  been  some  who  had  beheld 
the  face  of  Jesus  ;  but  they  had  not,  however,  had 
intercourse  with  him  ;  and  even  these  few  made  no 
sufficient  exception  that  Peter  could  not  in  general 
have  said  of  all,  that  they  had  not  seen  Jesus. 

That  we  should  love  one  whom  we  have  never 
seen  can  be  comprehended,  and  examples  of  it  are 
not  wanting  ;  but  to  do  so  without  knowing  him  in 
his  qualities  and  in  his  relation  to  us,  this  is  im- 
possible. The  dispersed  Christians  from  among  the 
Jews  thus  Jcneiv  Jesus,  from  authentic  and  credible 
reports  ;  yea,  they  possessed  of  him  a  knowledge 
extensive  and  complete  enough  to  see  begotten  by 


318  SERMONS. 

it  an  upright,  steadfast,  and  hearty  love  to  him. 
Very  early  indeed,  writings  seem  to  have  been  in 
circulation,  which  contained  in  simple  narratives 
the  life,  the  acts,  the  exit,  and  the  glorification  of 
the  Saviour.  Matthew,  one  of  the  Apostles,  him- 
self wrote,  for  the  service  of  the  primitive  Church, 
such  a  gospel,  in  the  abridging  of  which,  as  well 
as  in  the  important  additions  and  elucidations  which 
render  that  small  volume  invaluable,  Peter  had 
perhaps  no  insignificant  part.  When  Luke  re- 
corded those  particulars  of  Jesus'  abode  on  earth 
which  were  held  by  Christians  as  perfectly  certain, 
many  had  already  before  him  taken  the  same  thing 
in  hand  ;  and  there  was  thus  no  lack  of  written 
sources,  invested  with  sufficient  authority,  to  make 
Jesus  known  in  all  his  doing  and  character,  in  his 
passion  and  in  his  triumph,  in  his  entire  amiability. 
To  this  was  added  the  preaching  of  the  Apostles, 
and  of  the  other  disciples,  who  had  daily  had  inter- 
course with  Jesus,  and  were  chosen  by  him  to  bear 
his  name  and  to  promulge  his  gospel.  These  men, 
wholly  penetrated  and  animated  with  the  image  of 
their  Lord,  and  who  had  received  the  promise  of 
the  Spirit,  who  would  bring  all  things  to  their  re- 
membrance which  thev  had  seen  and  heard,  had 
purposed,  among  the  churches  which  they  visited 
and  founded  on  their  journeys,  to  know  nothing 
save  Christ  and  him  crucified ;  of  him  their  lips 
overflowed ;  they  spoke  of  him  in  the  language  of 
the  heart,  in  the  language  of  the  purest  transport. 
And  is  it,  then,  marvellous  that  they  should  kindle 
in  unprejudiced,  in  truly  virtuous  minds  the  same 


SERMONS.  319 

glow  of  love  which  burned  so  brightly,  so  purely,  so 
beneficently  in  their  own  bosom  ? 

The  love  to  Jesus  which  Peter  ascribes  to  these 
Christians  needed  to  be  no  blind  passion,  and  un- 
happy he  with  whom  it  is  this,  —  a  barren  shrub,  on 
which  no  fruit  can  grow,  a  shadow  without  image, 
a  flickering  without  o-low  !  In  order  to  love  him 
whom  we  have  not  seen,  a  still  more  distinct  and 
perfect  knowledge  is  required  than  to  love  him  in 
whose  look  and  intercourse  we  share.  Love  does 
not  penetrate  so  quickly  through  the  ear  as  through 
the  eye.  He  whose  countenance  we  behold,  whose 
presence  we  enjoy,  how  much  more  easily  does  he 
gain  our  affection  than  he  of  whom  we  have  been 
apprised  by  others,  who  he  was,  what  were  his 
thoughts  respecting  us,  what  he  did  for  us.  That 
feeling  of  relation,  of  desire,  of  indispensableness, 
which  alone  can  be  called  love,  if  it  shall  be  truly 
awakened  in  us,  for  one  unknown  by  face  to  us, 
perhaps  by  lands  and  seas  separated  from  us,  how 
nearly  must  what  is  said  of  him  affect  us ;  how 
must  it  touch  the  most  tender  chords  of  our  sensi- 
bility, and  with  what  a  firm  conviction  of  truth 
must  we  believe  and  accept  all  that  is  related  to  us 
of  the  greatness  and  goodness  of  the  object  of  our 
love,  and  of  its  influence  on  our  rest,  on  our  satis- 
faction, on  our  happiness  ! 

It  is  then  no  mean  testimony,  but  great  and  emi- 
nent, which  Peter  gives  to  the  scattered  Christians, 
when,  with  reference  to  Jesus,  he  says  of  them  : 
whom  having  not  seen,  ye  love.  And,  moreover,  if 
anv  one  knew  what  love  to  Jesus  was,  it  was  Peter ; 


320  SERMONS. 

he,  one  of  the  most  beloved  of  the  disciples,  witness 
of  his  Master's  transfiguration  on  Tabor,  witness 
of  his  agonies  in  Gethsemane  ;  who  had  received 
and  lodged  him  in  his  house  ;  who,  where  it  came 
to  proofs  and  professions  of  loyalty  and  affection, 
was  spokesman  for  all  the  others  :  Lord!  to  whom 
shall  we  go?  thou  hast  the  words  of  eternal  life; 
whose  very  fall,  how  deep  and  grievous  soever,  had 
proceeded  singly  from  this,  that  love  had  made  him 
contemplate  that  fall  as  impossible.  How  must 
still  that  voice  of  his  risen  Lord,  that  oft-repeated 
question,  have  continually  sounded  in  his  ears  : 
Simon,  son  of  Jo?ias,  lovest  thou  me  ?  whilst  his 
heart  could  still  continually  respond  to  it :  Lord, 
thou  know  est  all  things  ;  thou  knowest  that  Hove  thee. 
When  I  represent  to  myself  all  that  could,  in  the 
writing  of  these  words,  have  passed  before  the  mind 
of  the  Apostle,  then  I  read,  it  seems  to  me,  in 
them :  Beloved  in  Christ,  you  have  not  seen  him, 
that  only,  that  holy,  that  glorious  one  !  Had  it  been 
granted  you,  like  me,  to  share  in  his  intercourse, 
in  the  effusions  of  his  heavenly  friendship,  oh,  you 
would  not  have  been  able  to  restrain  your  hearts 
from  attaching  themselves  to  him  in  the  most  ten- 
der  affection  ;  eternally  dear  and  never-to-be-for- 
gotten would  he  have  become  to  you  as  to  me  ;  but 
even  now,  praise  be  to  the  grace  of  God,  honor 
be  to  Christianity,  glorified  in  you,  though  you  have 
not  seen  him,  yet  you  love  him  ! 

What,  now,  is  the  nature  of  that  love  to  Jesus, 
whom  we  have  not  seen  ?  How  is  it  possible  ?  how 
is  it  begotten?  how  does  it  manifest  itself?     These 


SERMONS.  321 

are  the  things  on  which  we  are  to  meditate  in  the 
second  part  of  our  discourse,  in  which  I  am  to  speak 
to  you  on  the  nature  of  love  to  Jesus. 

Who  knows  not  the  agreeable  passion  of  love  ? 
It  is  different  according  to  the  nature  of  the  object 
about  which  it  is  operative  ;  also  different  in  sin- 
cerity, in  purity  and  fervency  ;  but  what  human 
bosom  is  there  which  has  never  felt  what  love  is  ? 
It  can  for  wise  ends,  determined  by  God,  unite 
itself  with  the  sensations  of  our  sensuous  being ; 
but  it  is  in  reality  independent  of  it,  and  belongs 
to  our  spiritual  nature,  by  which  we  are  allied  to 
the  angels,  to  God  himself.  It  belongs  to  the 
noblest  elements  of  our  spiritual  nature,  and  is  the 
bond  which  holds  together  the  moral  world.  With- 
out  it,  it  is  eternal  winter,  as  well  in  the  invisible 
as  in  the  visible  creation.  It  is  the  source  of  our 
purest  pleasures  ;  it  can  be  the  source  of  an  unspeak- 
able and  glorious  joy.  Love  to  Jesus  is  truly,  and 
in  the  most  proper,  most  natural  sense  of  the  word, 
love  :  as  the  friend  loves  the  friend  of  his  heart,  as 
we  love  a  benefactor,  as  we  love  whatever  is  lovely. 
Are  there  not  among  our  fellow-men  those  to  whom 
we  feel  related  as  if  they  were  our  brothers,  though 
no  other  consanguinity  binds  them  to  us  than  that 
we  with  them  have  sprung  from  the  same  progen- 
itor of  all  mankind  ?  Is  not  love  love's  whetstone, 
and  does  not  our  heart  open  more  readily  to  them 
in  whose  heart  we  know  that  we  have  a  place  ?  If 
he  whom  we  highly  value  and  esteem,  desires  our 
friendship,  can  we  withhold  it  from  him  ?  And 
of  what   nature    is   the   engagement  arising   from 

21 


322  SERMONS. 

solemn  obligation  for  important  services  rendered, 
for  help  in  need,  for  preservation  of  property  and 
life  ?  Does  gratitude  in  well-constituted  hearts 
work  no  love  ?  When,  finally,  we  discover  in  any 
one  qualities  fair  and  gentle,  agreeable  and  capti- 
vating, does  there  not  then  exist  a  secret  attractive 
power  which  makes  the  refusal  of  our  affection 
wellnigh  impossible  ?  And  when  all  that  has  been 
enumerated,  relation,  respect,  gratitude,  amiabil- 
ity, unite  on  and  in  the  same  object,  what  love  then 
cannot  thence  arise,  which  in  sincerity,  in  purity 
and  steadfastness,  finds  nowhere  its  like  ?  Such 
is  love  to  Jesus  ;  we  will  unfold  it  to  you  in  certain 
particulars  ;  but  I  must  previously  limit  you  to  a 
required  qualification,  without  which  the  possibility 
of  that  love  might  be  doubted. 

We  must,  for  instance,  not  confound  with  it  the 
respectful  and  tender  remembrance  of  one  deceased, 
if  we  would  not  indulge  in  a  vain  play  on  words. 
To  the  dead,  who  has  been  torn  from  our  heart,  we 
pour  out  our  tears,  and  derive  melancholy  pleasure 
from  the  recollection  of  what  he  was  to  us  when 
with  us  ;  but  we  miss  him ;  new  reciprocal  per- 
formance of  duty  and  service  has  come  to  an  end  ; 
or  if  we  can  in  truth  be  said  to  love  them  at  whose 
graves  we  weep,  and  whose  will  remains  ever  dear 
to  us,  the  former  pleasant  intercourse  and  com- 
munion, the  life  and  soul  of  love,  have  been  cut 
off.  In  order,  then,  to  love  Jesus  as  it  becomes  us, 
and  as  is  acceptable  to  him,  the  belief  that  Jesus 
lives  must  be  deeply  rooted  in  our  hearts  ;  that 
he  lives  not  only  as  all  our  dead  live,  but  that  he 


SERMONS.  323 

lives  for  us ;  that  he  has  not  there,  where  he  is, 
lost  his  relation  to  the  earth  and  to  his  friends  on 
it ;  that  he  accepts  the  proofs  of  their  aifection,  and 
bestows  on  them  the  proofs  of  his ;  that  he,  exalted 
to  the  right  hand  of  his  Father  in  the  heavens,  is 
the  same  that  he  was  when  he  dwelt  here  below 
among  men  ;  that  his  mediatorial  glory  and  majesty 
have  diminished  nothing  from  his  human  amiability  ; 
and  that  we  contemplate  him  as  absent  only  with 
respect  to  the  body,  but  as  to  the  spirit  present  and 
by  us  ;  hoping  and  longing  and  expecting  that 
he  will  in  due  time  receive  us  to  himself  in  the 
mansions  of  his  Father,  and  that  we  shall  see  him 
as  he  is. 

As  we  thus  contemplate  Jesus,  whom  we  have 
never  seen  as  one  who  lives ;  who  is  detained,  in- 
deed, in  other  regions,  but  from  there  takes  notice 
of  us,  concerns  himself  about  us  ;  with  whom  we 
can  daily  hold  communion  through  the  purest  and 
most  tender  emotions  of  our  souls,  and  with  whom 
we  hope  to  be  finally  united,  never  to  part ;  need 
we  then  ask,  how  love  to  this  Jesus  is  produced  in 
us  ?  Certainly  so  as  with  the  Christians  to  whom 
Peter  wrote.  By  knowing  him  in  all  those  rela- 
tions in  which  he  is  dear  to  us.  Our  human  re- 
lations are  judged  to  be  fainter  and  weaker,  in 
proportion  as  they  are  less  exclusive  ;  and  so  lowest 
on  the  scale  of  the  same  stands  that  of  our  fellow- 
man,  the  participant  of  our  nature.  It  is,  however, 
a  weighty  relation,  the  foundation  of  all  the  rest, 
the  source  of  all  duties  of  love,  that  God  has  made 
of  one  blood  the  whole   race  of  men,      No  !    we 


324  SERMONS. 

should  not  be  able  to  cherish  that  love  for  Jesus 
which  we  may  now  bear  him,  had  he  not  become 
partaker  of  our  flesh  and  blood.  It  is  also  a  sweet 
and  fair  emotion  to  love  man  in  man.  It  becomes 
sweeter,  fairer,  more  sublime,  in  proportion  as  hu- 
man excellence  is  more  gloriously  displayed  in  him. 
As  among  our  kinsmen,  among  our  fellow-citizens 
or  countrymen,  among  our  brethren  in  the  same 
calling  or  occupation,  we  love  them  most  who  most 
honor  their  race,  the  place  or  the  land  of  their 
abode,  their  station  in  the  world,  so  that  we  may 
remember  them  with  noble  pride  ;  so  none  is  dearer 
to  us  as  man  than  he  in  whom  it  appears  of  what 
greatness  our  nature  is  capable.  Alas !  since  the 
mournful  fall  and  the  dominion  of  sin,  we  have 
little  reason  to  be  elated  because  of  our  race  ;  if 
not  to  be  ashamed  on  account  of  the  depth  to  which 
it  is  sunk.  But  Jesus  has  by  his  example  brought 
to  pass  that  we  can  again  raise  our  head  ;  in  him 
was  manifested  our  original  perfection  ;  in  him  it 
appeared  what  dispositions,  what  prospects,  what 
a  heaven  could  lodge  in  the  human  bosom ;  he  has 
asrain  ennobled  our  nature  !  Who  is  there,  then,  to 
whom  as  man  we  can  bear  a  like  love  as  to  Jesus  ? 

Amono-  the  traces  of  our  excellence  which  sin 
has  not  effaced  belongs  also  this,  that  true  virtue 
inspires  us  with  an  esteem  and  respect  which  even 
the  miscreant  cannot  renounce.  That  esteem  is 
in  the  good  nearly  allied  to  love  ;  yea,  without  it 
there  exists  no  love  that  deserves  to  bear  the  name. 
When  our  understanding  applauds  the  choice  of 
our  heart,  then  first  can  we  undauntedly  follow  its 


SERMONS.  325 

dictate  ;  and  how  is  true  affection  inflamed  by  each 
well-deserved  tribute  of  praise  that  is  bestowed  on 
its  object  ?  I  dare  hardly,  my  hearers,  among 
Christians,  who  know  their  Redeemer,  speak  of 
him  as  worthy  of  esteem ;  for  he  was  worthy  of 
much  more  than  this,  he  was  worthy  of  reverential 
homage  and  adoration.  Had  he  borne  the  image 
alone  of  immaculate  humanity,  I  should  speak  to 
you  of  his  innocence,  of  his  wisdom  and  goodness, 
of  his  courage  and  his  steadfastness  ;  how  he,  always 
like  himself,  could  challenge  even  his  enemies  to 
point  out  anything  faulty  in  his  life,  and  extorted 
from  them  the  testimony  :  Never  man  spake  like 
this  man.  But  he  bore  the  image  of  the  invisible 
God  ;  as  a  visible  Deity  he  walked  among  men  ; 
and  they  who  had  eyes  to  see  him  as  he  was,  beheld 
his  glory  as  that  of  the  only  begotten  of  the  Father  ! 
And  if,  then,  even  that  esteem  which  we  feel  for 
weak  and  imperfect  creatures  is  sufficient  to  serve 
as  a  foundation  of  the  love  which  we  cherish  for 
them,  how  pure,  how  constant,  how  heavenly  must 
not  then  be  that  flame  which  is  kindled  by  such  a 
veneration  ! 

But  you  think,  perhaps,  that  this  lofty  elevation 
and  divinity  of  Jesus  are  prejudicial  to  affection  for 
him,  to  familiarity  with  him,  to  the  outpouring  of 
the  heart  before  him ;  but  do  you  then  forget  how 
all  that  brightness  of  glory  manifested  itself  in  him, 
full  of  grace  and  truth  ?  There  may  sometimes  in 
him  whom  we  highly  esteem,  whom  we  honor  as 
the  ornament  of  his  age  and  his  station,  even  in 
him  who  overloads  us  with  benefits  and  favors,  be 


326  SERMONS. 

something  that  repels  us  as  it  were  from  him,  and 
prevents  us  from  giving  him  our  entire  confidence. 
There  is  yet  a  particular  property  which  we  desig- 
nate by  the  general  name  of  amiability,  and  who 
was  therein  ever  to  be  compared  with  Jesus  ? 
Who  was  gentle,  patient,  friendly,  indulgent,  like 
him  ?  —  adapting  himself  to  the  wants,  manners, 
wishes  of  all  ;  all  things  to  all !  Who  was  so 
greatly  the  friend  of  the  unhappy,  whom  he  never 
repulsed,  but  comforted,  aided,  and  delivered  ?  To 
heal  infirmities  and  diseases  was  his  daily  employ- 
ment ;  the  couches  of  the  sick  and  paralytic  were 
the  world  in  which  he  lived  ;  to  dry  tears  his 
highest  delight  !  Raised  above  all  prejudices  of 
his  nation  and  age,  from  pure  philanthropy  inviting 
to  him  Samaritans  and  publicans,  sitting  at  their 
board  ;  publicly  rewarding  the  tender  homage  of 
a  penitent  female  sinner  with  forgiveness  of  sins  ! 
And  what  was  he  not  to  his  friends  ;  to  his  twelve 
disciples ;  to  the  Marthas,  Marys,  and  Lazaruses  ; 
to  the  noble  female  disciples,  who  could  not  leave 
his  side  ?  He  demanded  not  only  the  heart  of  his 
friends,  he  gave  them  also  his.  He  was  not  blind 
to  their  infirmities,  and  reproved  them,  but  yet  main- 
tained their  honor  before  the  multitude.  Still  we 
see  him,  as  he  washes  the  feet  of  his  disciples  from 
first  to  last,  and  subjoins  to  Peter,  who  out  of  re- 
spect to  him  is  disposed  to  refuse :  If  I  wash  thee 
not,  thou  hast  no  part  with  me.  Still  we  hear  him, 
consecrating  their  remembrance  of  him  with  the 
bread  and  the  cup  of  the  supper  ;  his  farewell  dis- 
course on  the  way  to  Gethsemane,  full  of  promises, 


SERMONS.  827 

full  of  consolation,  full  of  professions  and  demands 
of  friendship  ;  his  prayer,  with  which  he  commends 
them  to  the  keeping  and  protection  of  his  Heavenly 
Father  ;  and  how  he  finally  surrenders  himself  vol- 
untarily to  his  enemies,  on  condition  that  they  will 
not  molest  his  friends  !  What  can  be  denominated 
amiability,  if  it  be  not  this  ?  And  as  Jesus  was  on 
earth,  so  is  he  still  in  heaven  !  Who  would  not 
desire  such  a  friend  as  Jesus ;  who  prefer  another 
to  him  ? 

And  permit  me  yet  to  add  :  Whom  would  you 
rather  out  of  gratitude  love,  to  whom  would  you 
rather  be  under  obligation  than  to  him  ?  He  has 
redeemed  us  from  death  and  recalled  us  to  life  ! 
Such  a  benefactor  we  call  among  our  fellow-men 
the  greatest,  who  delivers  us  from  peril  of  life, 
especially  if  he  does  this  at  the  peril  of  his  own 
life.  But  what  preservation  of  life  is  this  in  com- 
parison with  the  preservation  procured  by  Jesus  ? 
The  preservation  of  a  life  that  we  must  certainly 
lose  again,  that  at  furthest  can  last  onlv  a  few 
years,  that,  perhaps,  will  last  only  a  few  months 
or  weeks,  and  then  succumb  to  a  power  against 
which  no  human  help  can  avail  ?  Is  this  a  benefit 
so  great  that  he  who  conferred  it  on  us  becomes 
thereby  alone  dear  to  us  and  never  to  be  forgotten ; 
that  we  cannot  hear  his  name  mentioned  without 
our  heart  beating  with  emotion  ?  What  can,  what 
must  we  then  not  feel  for  him  who  has  for  us  de- 
stroyed death  and  the  fear  of  death,  and  brought 
to  pass  that  he  who  believes  in  him  shall  never  die  ? 
I  see  the  condemned  malefactor,  with  tears  of  love, 


328  SERMONS. 

sinking  down  at  the  feet  of  his  king,  who  has  ex- 
tended grace  to  him,  without  its  costing  him  more 
than  to  subscribe  his  name  to  the  letter  of  pardon  ; 
and  we,  exposed  to  death  and  condemnation,  we 
receive  forgiveness  of  a  thousand  unpardonable 
crimes  from  our  Heavenly  Judge  and  King  through 
Jesus  Christ,  who  for  that  placed  his  life  not  only 
in  the  scale,  but  sacrificed  and  poured  it  out  in  the 
most  cruel  and  most  disgraceful  death,  himself 
bearing  the  punishment  which  should  procure  our 
peace.  And  this,  this  benefactor,  so  lovely  in  all 
his  traits  and  characteristics,  our  head,  our  glory, 
and  our  crown,  God  manifested  in  the  flesh,  de- 
mands our  love,  sets  value  on  our  love,  loved  us 
first,  and  desires  by  his  love  to  make  us  happy  by 
and  with  him.  I  repeat  it,  need  we  indeed  ask, 
can  we  love  him  ?  How  is  love  to  him  begotten 
in  the  heart  of  his  friends  ? 

And,  finally,  how  does  love  to  Jesus  manifest 
itself?  So,  my  beloved,  as  love  always  manifests 
itself;  inwardly  in  emotions  of  the  mind,  outwardly 
in  words  and  deeds.  But  those  inward  emotions, 
who  has  ever  been  able  to  describe  them  ?  That 
tender  remembrance,  delighting  in  the  silent  enu- 
meration of  all  that  makes  the  beloved  lovely  ;  in 
the  recollection  of  all  the  proofs  of  his  affection  ; 
that  fear  of  displeasing  him ;  those  outgoings  of  the 

soul ;    that  longing  to  be  by  and  with  him 

but  here  all  expressions  of  human  speech  fail,  and 
though  that  love  also  manifests  itself  outwardly  in 
words,  they  are  simply  a  faint  outline  of  what  is 
taking  place  within.     Expect  there,  above  all,  no 


SERMONS.  329 

parade  of  empty  professions,  no  profanation  of  the 
beloved  name  by  unseasonable  mention  of  it ;  but 
respectful,  discreet,  and  yet  always  warm  language 
of  the  heart,  intelligible  and  harmonious,  however 
simply  expressed,  to  them  who  burn  with  the  same 
love.  And  who  does  not  know  in  what  deeds  it 
manifests  itself?  The  friend  will  certainly  avoid 
whatever  displeases  his  friend,  endeavor  to  deserve 
his  esteem,  strive  after  his  approbation,  laboring  with 
all  his  abilities  to  honor  the  mutual  covenant  of 
love.  This  is  indeed  the  test  of  true,  noble  friend- 
ship, the  scale  by  which  to  gauge  its  strength  and 
its  steadfastness.  And  unhappy  he  who  would  man- 
ifest his  love  to  Jesus  by  other  marks  than  these ; 
who  never  made  any  dedication  and  surrender  of 
the  soul  to  him  ;  wTho  never  rejoiced  in  him  with 
an  unspeakable  and  glorious  joy ;  who  does  not 
feel  himself  blessed  when  his  walk  is  by  his  Friend 
in  the  heavens ;  who  never  with  burning  tears 
lamented  the  infidelity  and  the  departures  of  his 
heart  through  the  seduction  of  the  senses  and  of 
concupiscence  ;  and  whose  constant  prayer  is  not, 
Lord,  increase  in  me  thy  love  through  faith,  that  I 
may  bear  thy  name  and  become  conformed  to  thy 
glorious  image  ! 

III.  From  what  has  been  said  it  wTill  already 
have  been  apparent  to  you,  my  hearers,  how  great 
importance  we  are  to  attach  to  love  to  Jesus,  con- 
cerning which  I  must  yet  in  the  third  and  last  fart 
of  my  discourse  speak  to  you,  for  it  is  indeed  the 
soul  of  Christianity,  and,  as  I  said  at  the  beginning, 
the  foundation  and  corner-stone  of  the  kingdom  of 


830  SERMONS. 

God  on  earth.  A  few  considerations,  which  I  will 
in  conclusion  offer,  will  be  sufficient  to  place  in  the 
light  this  important  truth,  and  impress  it  on  your 
minds. 

First,  love  to  Jesus  is  in  its  being  the  same  as 
love  to  God.  The  attempt  has  indeed  been  often 
made,  to  cast  a  reflection  on  the  homage  and  affec- 
tion which  all  true  Christians  render  to  Jesus, 
their  Lord  and  Head,  as  if  it  militated  against  the 
exclusive  respect  which  we  owe  to  the  only  true 
God.  But  how  little  does  one  know,  in  making 
such  an  impeachment,  of  the  true  nature  of  the 
gospel !  Yes,  how  little  knowledge  does  one  there- 
by evince,  of  what  it  is  truly  to  honor  God !  Or 
is  this  something  else  than  to  honor  the  counsel 
and  will  of  God?  When" the  Father  will  be  hon- 
ored and  loved  in  the  Son,  does  it  then  become  us 
to  pronounce  this  sacrilege,  and  to  reject  the  ap- 
pointments of  God's  eternal  wisdom  ?  Is  not  the 
Son,  then,  the  brightness  of  the  Father's  glory,  the 
express  image  of  his  person  ?  Woe  to  him  who 
should  be  able  to  forget  and  banish  from  his  heart 
the  Infinite  Creator  and  Upholder  of  all  tilings,  in 
order  to  render  to  another  above  him  his  affection 
and  loyalty!  Him  will  the  glorified  Jesus,  in  the 
day  of  his  coming,  not  acknowledge  as  his  ;  he  who 
spake  and  did  all  that  he  spake  and  did  in  obe- 
dience to  his  Father.  But  in  him  we  see  the  Father, 
the  Father's  wisdom  and  power  and  love.  His 
life  is  the  clearest  mirror  of  God's  perfections,  and 
there  is  no  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of 
God  save  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ.     Would  you 


SERMONS.  331 

know  what  most  pleases  God  of  all  that  we  can 
perform  to  his  honor ;  to  what  he  has  annexed  his 
greatest  and  most  benign  complacency  ?  It  is  that 
we  love  Jesus.  In  no  other  relation  than  as  friends 
of  his  Son  can  he  forgive  us  all  things,  and  open 
to  us  his  fatherly  heart  and  fatherly  house  above. 
Thus,  we  withhold  not  then  from  the  Father  the 
love  which  we  give  to  his  Son,  but  we  give  it  to 
him  as  he  is  most  disposed  to  accept  it  from  us,  as 
only  he  can  accept  it  from  sinners  ;  and  fulfil  in 
the  way  most  becoming,  most  pleasing  to  God,  the 
first  and  great  command  :  TIwu  shalt  love  the  Lord 
thy  G-od,  and  him  only  shalt  thou  serve.  Secondly, 
love  to  Jesus  places  obedience  to  God  and  the  ful- 
filment of  our  obligation  and  destination  in  their 
fairest  and  most  amiable  light.  We  are  indeed  so 
formed,  and  it  belongs  in  some  measure  to  the 
nobility  of  our  nature,  that  we  reluctantly  yield  to 
compulsion,  and  that  sacrifices,  extorted  from  us  by 
fear  or  superior  power,  lose  all  their  value  ;  but  that 
on  the  contrary  we  gladly  perform  from  love  what 
we  allow  to  be  wrested  from  us  by  no  violence. 
What  is  possible  to  men  is  possible  to  them  by  love. 
What  wonders  of  fidelity  are  recorded  in  history 
which  have  been  performed  by  consorts  for  each 
other,  by  fathers  and  mothers  for  their  offspring, 
by  children  for  their  parents,  with  contempt  of  all 
dangers,  with  renunciation  of  themselves,  of  their 
property  and  life,  simply  because  they  were  con- 
strained by  love,  which  is  not  to  be  arrested  in  its 
course  by  mountains,  or  abysses,  or  deserts  !  And 
now  recollect  of  what   nature  love  to  Jesus   can 


332  SERMONS. 

and  must  be.  Can  anything  that  he  desires,  or 
expects,  or  commands,  be  grievous  to  him  in  whose 
heart  this  love  lias  been  truly  shed  abroad  ?  Do 
you  know  a  more  beautiful  fundamental  law  for 
the  kingdom  of  God  than  this  love,  nobler  in  its 
nature,  more  powerful  in  its  operation  ?  Incited 
by  this  love,  Peter  and  his  fellow-apostles  were 
seen  forsaking  all  in  order  to  follow  Christ ;  esteem- 
ing the  reproach  of  Christ  an  honor  to  them ; 
enduring  poverty,  stripes,  and  imprisonment,  and 
willingly  sealing  their  fidelity  with  their  blood. 
Where  this  love  has  taken  possession  of  the  heart, 
there  it  will  be,  amid  manifold  trial  and  temptation, 
even  in  a  pathway  of  life  most  filled  with  cares  and 
difficulties,  still  the  language  of  the  last  Christian 
who  has  contended  in  these  lists,  His  command- 
ments are  not  grievous. 

And  this  yet  the  more,  my  beloved,  since,  in  the 
third  place,  love  to  Jesus  must  from  its  nature  be  a 
source  of  sanctification.  No !  no  true  friendship 
can  subsist  between  the  good  and  the  bad,  for  light 
has  no  communion  with  darkness !  Can  you  con- 
ceive of  the  man  before  whose  eyes  the  image  of 
the  holy  Jesus  is  ever  present,  and  who  should  not 
hate  sin  as  a  debasement  and  disgrace  and  dishonor 
to  his  heavenly  calling  ?  Unhappy  ye  whose  hearts 
cannot  yet  bear  witness  that  you  love  Jesus ;  is  it 
not  because  you  know  and  feel  that  choosing  him 
you  would  be  obliged  to  bid  farewell  to  your  carnal 
and  sensual  life ;  because  you  know  that  there  is 
enmity  between  Christ  and  Belial  ?  And  ye  who 
cleave  to  him,  and  know  no  life  without  him  for  your 


SERMONS.  333 

souls,  when  is  he  more  precious  to  you,  and  when 
do  you  take  a  purer  delight  in  him,  than  when  you 
are  conscious  that  in  meekness,  beneficence,  and 
purity  you  are  promoting  the  glory  of  God  and  the 
good  of  the  community  ?  Or,  reciprocally,  when 
do  you  form  holier  resolutions,  and  wage  warfare 
against  the  flesh  and  the  world  with  greater  courage 
and  energy,  than  when  in  thought  you  are  contin- 
ually by  him,  and  your  relation  to  him  fills  your 
whole  soul?  Another  apostle  has  said,  that  when 
he  shall  appear ',  we  shall  be  like  him ;  for  we  shall 
see  him  as  he  is.  So  is  it  also  with  our  beholding 
of  him  by  the  eye  of  faith  and  love  ;  it  must  pro- 
duce conformity  to  him.  It  is  impossible  to  set 
continually  before  us  with  inward  complacency  and 
interest  so  much  goodness  and  greatness  without 
being  smitten  by  it,  charmed,  inflamed  with  a  noble 
desire  to  imitate.  Yes,  the  order  of  nature  and 
of  the  human  emotions  must  be  overturned  and 
destroyed,  if  love  to  Jesus  be  not  the  same  as  love 
to  virtue  ! 

Finally,  there  is  no  love  without  desire  ;  no  love 
to  an  absent  friend  without  longing  to  see  him  and 
to  be  by  him.  Love  to  Jesus,  then,  is  also  immov- 
able hope  of  salvation  !  Entire  Christianity  is  based 
on  and  designed  to  effect  this,  that  we  contemplate 
the  earth  as  the  land  of  our  pilgrimage  and  heaven 
as  our  home.  In  whom  this  mind  is,  he  alone  walks 
worthily  of  the  gospel  of  Christ ;  and  he  who  has 
this  hope  in  him  purifies  himself,  even  as  he  is  pure. 
By  this,  then,  let  us  try  ourselves  whether  we  pertain 
to  him  through  love ;   and  if  we  cannot  give  this 


334  SERMONS. 

testimony  to  ourselves,  let  us  attend  to  our  ways,  lest 
in  the  midst  of  the  diversions  or  enjoyments  or 
cares  of  life  we  fail  to  secure  the  greatest  and  only 
felicity.  But  happy,  thrice  happy,  if  our  treasure 
is  in  heaven ;  for  where  our  treasure  is,  there  will 
our  heart  also  be.  That  treasure  is  Jesus  and  love 
to  him ;  may  he  be  ours,  more  precious  to  us  than 
perishable  gold  and  silver !  May  Christ  be  formed 
in  us  ;  may  we  bear  his  image,  that  he  may  ac- 
knowledge us  as  his,  and  when  we  shall  have 
come  thither,  whither  we  are  all  going,  he  may  say 
of  us  to  his  Father :  Father,  I  will  that  they  also 
whom  thou  hast  given  me  be  with  me  where  I  am. 
Amen. 


SERMONS.  335 


SERMON   VIII. 
PATRIOTISM,  A  DUTY  OF   RELIGION.1 

I  was  glad  when  they  said  unto  me,  Let  us  go  into  the  house  of  the 
Lord. 

Our  feet  shall  stand  within  thy  gates,  0  Jerusalem. 

Jerusalem  is  builded  as  a  city  that  is  compact  together: 

Whither  the  tribes  go  up,  the  tribes  of  the  Lord,  unto  the  testimony 
of  Israel,  to  give  thanks  unto  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

For  there  are  set  thrones  of  judgment,  the  thrones  of  the  house  of 
David. 

Pray  for  the  peace  of  Jerusalem :  they  shall  prosper  that  love  thee. 

Peace  be  within  thy  walls,  and  prosperity  within  thy  palaces. 

For  my  brethren  and  companions'  sakes,  I  will  now  say,  Peace  be 
within  thee. 

Because  of  the  house  of  the  Lord  our  God  I  will  seek  thy  good.  — 
Psalm  cxxii. 

Who  is  there  among  you,  my  hearers,  of  what- 
ever rank  or  condition  he  be,  who  regards  with  in- 
difference the  events  which  in  these  days  so  sensibly 
and  so  nearly  affect  our  land  and  people  ?  Who 
that  does  not  carry  about  with  him  wherever  he 
goes  the  thought  of  them,  and  that  has  not  brought 
it  with  him  even  into  this  house  of  prayer  ?  We 
are  apprised  of  the  unheard-of  violence  with  which 
the  fortress  is  assaulted,  the  cession  of  which  on 
honorable  conditions  is  refused  us  through  perfidi- 
ousness  and  superior  power.  We  learn  with  what 
determined  courage  it  is  defended  by  our  country's 

1  Preached  December  16th,  1832. 


336  SERMONS. 

heroes  ;  how  the  blood  of  many  has  already  flowed 
in  its  defence ;  and  some  have  even  sacrificed  their 
lives  in  maintaining  the  cause  of  justice.  We  hear 
it,  and  our  hearts  beat  restlessly  within  us  ;  and  did 
we  not  look  upward  to  Him  who  alone  directs  all 
the  affairs  of  the  world,  and  whose  darkest  ways 
are  often  the  most  glorious,  we  should  hardly  be 
able  to  refrain  from  complaining  and  disputing. 
Whence  is  this,  even  in  the  case  of  those  who 
neither  by  pecuniary  interests  nor  by  means  of 
dear  children  or  relatives  are  involved  in  this  con- 
flict ?  Is  it  not  because  we  feel  how  dear-  to  us  is 
our  country ;  how  strong  and  sacred  the  bond  that 
binds  us  to  its  honor  and  welfare  ?  Influenced  by 
this  consideration,  1  purpose,  during  this  hour  de- 
voted to  religious  meditation,  to  address  you,  in  a 
manner  suited  to  the  object  for  which  we  are  con- 
vened, on  interest  in  the  welfare  of  one's  country. 
To  this  end  I  have  selected  matter  which  will  not 
only  give  us  a  ready  introduction  to  it,  but  which 
will  at  the  same  time  afford  us  an  opportunity  to 
delight  ourselves  in  the  treasures  of  God's  word, 
and  by  this  means  furnish  to  burdened  minds 
some  moments  of  agreeable  relief  from  their  anx- 
ious thoughts. 

PRAYER. 

God  of  grace  and  compassion,  who  hast  com- 
manded us  to  love  our  neighbors  as  ourselves,  and 
hast  so  formed  us  that  we  can  never  be  happier  than 
when  we  are  making  others  happier,  we  thank  thee 
that  thou  dost  again  grant  us  the  opportunity  to 


SERMONS.  337 

come  together  in  thy  sanctuary  and  enjoy  the  in- 
struction of  thy  holy  word.  We  thank  thee  for  this 
the  most  excellent  of  the  benefits  which  we  receive 
from  thy  liberal  hand,  and  for  so  many  other  privi- 
leges and  blessings  which  fall  to  our  lot  as  citizens 
and  inhabitants  of  this  good  land.  We  thank  thee 
that  we  possess  a  country  to  which  we  are  bound  by 
the  dearest  recollections  ;  recollections  of  thy  care 
and  faithfulness,  of  the  wonders  of  thy  love  and 
power  previously  displayed  for  its  good ;  a  country 
whose  liberty,  achieved  by  the  courage  of  our  fa- 
thers, has  by  them  been  bequeathed  to  us  as  a  sa- 
cred inheritance  ;  a  land  where  liberty  of  conscience 
was  procured  at  the  expense  of  their  blood,  which 
thou  hast  chosen  to  fix  there  a  seat  of  thy  purified 
worship,  and  to  cause  the  light  of  the  gospel  to  shine 
in  its  unsullied  brightness.  Should  not  such  a  coun- 
try  be  dear  to  us  for  our  own  and  our  children's  sake, 
for  thy  name  and  thine  honor's  sake,  on  account  of 
which  thou  hast  given  it  to  us,  and  so  wonderfully 
restored  it  to  us  when  we  had  forfeited  and  lost 
it,  and  hast  hitherto  preserved  us  in  the  possession 
of  it  ?  Yea,  Lord,  we  feel  with  what  bonds  we  are 
fastened  to  it ;  we  bear  its  interests  on  our  hearts 
in  the  perilous  condition  into  which  under  the  di- 
rection of  thy  providence  it  is  brought ;  in  the  con- 
flict between  right  and  despotism  in  which  with 
thy  permission  it  is  involved.  And  we  pray  thee 
graciously  to  hear  all  the  supplications  that  from 
our  temples  and  our  closets  ascend  to  thee  to  de- 
liver it  from  its  present  peril ;  to  spare  the  blood  of 
its  defenders,  to  sustain  their  noble  courage,  and  to 

22 


338  SERMONS. 

cause  them  to  keep  their  eyes  fixed  on  thee,  the 
God  of  hosts  !  To  furnish  the  king  whom  thou 
hast  granted  us  in  thy  favor  with  thy  strength  and 
thy  light,  that  he,  to  a  steadfast  perseverance  in  that 
which  is  good,  may  join  that  wisdom  which  may 
teach  him  always  and  in  all  things  to  make  the  best 
choice  for  the  good  of  his  people.  Oh,  that  our 
interest  in  the  happiness  and  honor  of  our  country 
may  ever  flow  from  pure  principles,  and  be  more 
than  a  mere  welling  up  of  inclination  and  passion  ! 
May  it  proceed  from  true  love  to  our  brethren  and 
friends,  and  from  a  sincere  regard  for  the  service 
and  the  house  of  thee,  the  Lord  our  God  ;  and 
may  we  each  in  our  sphere,  by  virtue  and  purity 
of  morals,  by  reverential  fear  of  thy  name,  coop- 
erate in  causing  this  land  of  our  abode  to  share  in 
thy  continued  love  and  compassion. 

To  this  end  we  pray  thee  to  bless  our  present  med- 
itation, and  to  grant  to  speaker  and  hearers  the  in- 
fluence and  assistance  of  thy  Spirit.  May  the  word 
of  thy  grace  diffuse  comfort  and  blessing  all  around, 
even  to  the  sick-beds  of  those  who  could  not  come 
up  hither  with  us,  and  whom  we  commend  to  thee 
for  restoration,  for  encouragement,  and  for  sanctifi- 
cation.  Accept  the  oblations  of  all  who  are  the  re- 
cipients of  favor,  and  may  they  be  acceptable  to  thee 
in  Christ.  Dwell  amid  our  songs  of  praise  ;  may  our 
charities  be  bestowed  with  a  ready  mind  devoted  to 
thee ;  and  may  our  prayers  and  thanksgiving  find 
acceptance  with  thee  for  thy  Son's  sake.     Amen. 

In  considering  the  Psalm  that  has  been  read,  we 


SERMONS.  339 

must  place  ourselves  in  the  most  flourishing  times 
of  the  Israelitish  State.  And  we  do  this  with  no 
reluctance  ;  for  in  days  of  anxiety  and  fear,  such 
as  at  present  are  ours,  such  a  contemplation  may 
bear  us  up  by  reflection  on  a  better  past ;  it  may 
strengthen  us  in  the  present  distress,  and  illumine 
the  eye  of  our  hope  as  it  looks  into  an  uncertain 
future.  The  song  is  in  the  ordinary  editions  of  the 
original  text  ascribed  to  David  ;  but  their  authority 
is  not  in  this  place  confirmed  by  that  of  the  oldest 
translations.  Nor  could  it  have  been  composed  by 
David  ;  for  during  his  life,  when  the  ark  indeed  was 
on  Sion,  but  the  tabernacle  and  the  altar  of  burnt- 
offering  were  at  Gibeon,  Jerusalem  was  not  yet  the 
place  whither  the  tribes  went  up  to  praise  the  Lord. 
Nor  yet  can  the  origin  of  the  song  be  placed  later 
than  Solomon's  reign  ;  for  after  his  death  occurred 
the  disastrous  schism  by  which  Israel  was  divided 
into  two  kingdoms,  when  the  tribes  no  longer  went 
up  together  to  pay  their  homage  to  Jehovah  on  Sion. 
In  a  time  of  prosperity  and  peace,  of  fortune  and 
fame,  under  the  government  of  a  wise  and  powerful 
king,  was  this  psalm  composed  and  sung  ;  and  its 
contents  are  a  faithful  representation  of  this  illus- 
trious period  of  Israelitish  history.  It  bears  the 
title  Hammaaloth,  and  belongs  thus  to  the  small 
collection  of  fifteen  songs,  which,  on  their  journey 
to  the  great  feasts  and  during  the  celebration  of  the 
same,  were  sung  by  the  sacred  pilgrims.  On  an- 
other occasion  I  shall  give  you  a  description  of 
these  religious  journeys  to  the  temple,  and  of  the 
holy  joy  of  the  Israelites,  who,  as  Isaiah  expresses 


340  SERMONS. 

it,  went  with  the  sound  of  music  to  come  into  the 
mountain  of  the  Lord,  to  the  rock  of  Israel.  I  need 
not,  therefore,  suspend  at  this  time  before  your 
eyes  this  charming  picture,  but  only  direct  you  to 
observe  how  clearly  the  song  which  we  now  have 
before  us  exhibits  the  object  for  which  it  was  in- 
tended, namely,  to  be  sung  by  the  religious  travelling 
company  as  they  were  entering  within  the  gates  of 
Jerusalem.  The  psalm  comprises  the  joy  of  the 
travellers  on  their  safe  arrival  at  Jerusalem,  their 
ecstasy  as  they  view  the  city,  which  was  the  seat  of 
government  and  the  place  of  their  common  worship, 
and  the  outpouring  of  their  fervent  prayer  for  its 
preservation,  prosperity,  and  welfare,  as  an  emana- 
tion of  blessing  from  the  God  of  Israel. 

Led  to  it  by  the  contents  of  this  song,  I  desire  to 
address  you  on  religious  interest  in  the  welfare  of 
our  country :  a  theme  which  I  trust  will  seem  to 
none  of  you  inappropriate  in  days  such  as  those 
in  which  w^  live,  in  which  the  eyes  of  every  true 
Netherlander  are  fixed  on  that  which,  under  the 
direction  of  divine  Providence,  is  befalling  the  be- 
loved land  in  which  he  dwells,  or  is  appointed  it 
in  the  future.  Favor  me,  then,  with  an  attentive 
hearing,  whilst 

I.  In  the  first  place,  I  attempt  to  explain  the 
words  of  the  psalm,  and  enable  you  to  perceive  their 
appropriateness  and  beauty ; 

II.  Secondly,  take  occasion  thence  to  address  you 
on  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  country  as  a  duty 
prescribed  by  religion  ; 

III.  And,  finally,  entertain  you  on  the  manner 


SERMONS.  341 

in  which  it  becomes  us  to  discharge  this  religious 
duty. 

I.  For  the  right  understanding  of  the  poet's 
words  in  this  psalm,  I  must  make  two  preliminary 
remarks.  The  first  respects  the  mention  of  the 
city  Jerusalem^  whose  welfare  the  singers  have  so 
much  at  heart.  We  must  here  remember  that  they 
were  not  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  whom  we  hear 
speak  or  sing,  and  who  express  their  desires  for  the 
welfare  of  their  own  city  ;  but  Israelites  now  come 
thither  from  other  and  distant  parts  of  the  land. 
It  is  thus  not  the  city  viewed  by  itself  as  a  great, 
magnificent,  populous  city  that  is  here  intended, 
but  the  capital  of  the  kingdom,  the  seat  of  supreme 
authority,  whence  all  commands  and  appointments 
for  the  promotion  of  the  welfare  of  the  whole  people 
proceeded.  It  is  the  place  of  their  common  worship, 
where  all  the  tribes  assemble  to  praise  their  God  ; 
it  is  the  city  common  to  all,  and  where  each  found 
himself  as  in  his  own  paternal  inheritance.  It  is 
this  Jerusalem  which  is  here  celebrated,  and  the 
petitions  sent  up  to  Heaven  for  it  are  poured  out 
for  the  whole  land  of  Israel. 

A  second  remark  respects  the  word  peace,  the 
principal  object  of  the  wishes  which  are  poured  out 
for  Jerusalem  and  the  country.  We  must  not  here 
take  this  word  in  its  restricted  signification  as  the 
opposite  of  war,  of  hatred,  or  strife,  but  in  the 
most  unrestricted  sense,  as  indicating  all  manner  of 
prosperity  and  blessing,  all  manner  of  spiritual  and 
corporeal  good.  Therefore  also  in  the  psalm  itself 
the  word  peace  is  used  interchangeably  with  pros- 


342  SERMONS. 

perity,  and  the  phrase  pray  for  the  peace,  with  seek 
thy  good.  And  indeed,  peace  in  the  State,  peace 
in  social  intercourse,  peace  in  the  domestic  circle, 
is  such  a  most  desirable,  all-other-surpassing  good, 
that  also  the  highest  felicity  that  can  be  enjoyed  on 
earth  is,  in  the  style  of  the  Bible,  indicated  by  the 
word  peace  ;  and  when  the  priest  pronounced  the 
benediction  on  the  assembled  people,  he  concluded 
his  petitions,  as  they  could  ascend  no  higher,  with 
the  wish,  Jehovah  give  thee  peace  ! 

These  things  being  premised,  we  can  proceed 
without  hindrance  in  the  exposition  of  the  psalm, 
in  which  we  shall  follow  in  the  steps  of  the  singers 
as  they  give  utterance  to  their  joyful  emotions. 
We  hear  them  speak,  now  in  the  singular,  then  in 
the  plural  number,  without  feeling  ourselves  obliged 
to  think  of  different  voices  relieving  each  other. 
Singing  in  common,  they  are  the  same  strains  which 
are  sung  by  all,  the  same  sentiments  which  are  ex- 
pressed as  with  one  voice  ! 

I  was  glad,  thus  they  begin  collectively,  and  each 
speaking  for  himself,  —  /  was  glad  when  they  said 
unto  me,  Let  us  go  into  the  house  of  the  Lord.  By 
the  divine  law  given  by  Moses  three  great  feasts 
were  appointed,  and  the  Israelites  were  commanded, 
in  order  to  celebrate  them,  to  come  up  from  all  parts 
of  the  land  to  the  place  where  the  sanctuary  was 
established,  in  which  God  would  be  served  and 
worshipped  by  the  whole  nation  collectively.  But 
that  law  was  so  beneficent,  and  at  those  feasts 
reigned  such  a  religious,  joyous  frame  of  mind,  as 
well  by  their  mutual  fraternal  intercourse  as  by 


SERMONS.  343 

their  participation  in  the  numerous  sacrificial  re- 
pasts, that  the  right-minded  Israelite,  who  could 
relish  true  joy,  in  which  spiritual  enjoyment  was 
blended  with  the  gratification  of  the  senses,  hailed 
with  intense  delight  the  approach  of  these  feasts, 
and  was  glad,  as  often  as  it  was  said  to  him :  The 
time  has  again  come,  make  ready  for  the  journey  ; 
let  us  go  to  the  house  of  the  Lord. 

It  cannot,  however,  be  denied  that  the  journey 
was  with  regard  to  many,  especially  to  such  as  were 
obliged  to  come  from  remote  parts  of  the  land,  at- 
tended with  no  inconsiderable  difficulties.  A  march 
of  several  days  over  mountains  and  hills,  and  through 
deep  valleys,  in  the  season  of  the  year  when  by 
day  the  sun  burned  above  their  heads  and  rendered 
them  more  sensitive  to  the  cold  of  the  nights,  sub- 
jected  them  to  serious  inconveniences,  which  must 
be  encountered  and  overcome  before  they  reached 
the  place  of  their  destination.  But  had  they  once 
arrived  there,  had  they  not  only  seen  the  spires  of 
the  city  of  God  reflected  from  the  mountains,  but 
did  they  actually  enter  within  its  walls,  then  they 
raised  a  simultaneous  shout  of  joy,  and  sung  to  one 
another :  Our  feet  are  standing  within  thy  gates,  0 
Jerusalem  ! 

To  the  view  of  the  devout  pilgrims  Jerusalem 
now  presents  itself  in  all  the  pomp  and  splendor  of 
the  age  of  Solomon  ;  is  it  strange  that  the  praise 
of  that  city  which  had  been  the  object  of  their  de- 
sires resounds  from  the  mouths  of  all  ?  Jerusalem, 
thus  they  sing,  is  builded  as  a  city  that  is  compact 
together.     So  it  reads  in  our  translation,  but  this  is 


344  SEEMONS. 

certainly  far  beneath  the  expression  of  the  original. 
A  better  translation  of  these  words  is  now  generally 
current ;  it  is  this  :  Jerusalem,  thou  beautifully  built ! 
a  city,  where  house  is  joined  to  house.  One  imag- 
ines that  he  hears  a  young  Israelite,  brought  up  in 
the  quiet  country,  where  he  has  seen  no  other  than 
scattered  houses,  separated  from  each  other  by  great 
intervening  spaces,  and  who  now,  seeing  a  city  before 
him,  where  one  house  joins  another  and  all  seem  to 
be  simply  one  edifice,  expresses  with  these  words 
his  enraptured  surprise.  This  conception  has  some- 
thing attractive,  and  it  has  charmed  me  also  by  its 
appearance  of  agreeable  naturalness.  It  may,  how- 
ever, be  doubted  whether  it  equally  corresponds 
with  the  solemnity  of  a  song  composed  for  a  jour- 
ney, which  was  to  be  sung  simultaneously  by  many, 
and  these  of  every  rank  and  age  ;  and  whether 
what  is  further  said  of  Jerusalem  breathes  this  same 
childlike  or  rustic  simplicity.  It  might  be  asked, 
whether  Jerusalem  was  then  the  only  city  which 
was  thus  compacted  with  buildings,  and  whether 
the  caravan,  which  had  perhaps  passed  through 
more  than  one  city,  had  not  met  with  the  same 
thing  elsewhere  ?  Certain  it  is,  that,  to  build  a  city, 
in  the  Hebrew  language,  also  conveys  the  idea  of 
enclosing  it  with  walls  and  fortifications  ;  and  that 
the  language  of  ecstasy  with  which  we  here  meet 
can  also  be  applied  to  the  invincible  strength  of  the 
city  established  by  David  as  the  capital  of  Israel, 
whose  walls  and  towers  had  now  presented  them- 
selves to  the  view  of  the  singers :  Jerusalem,  thou 
strong  fortress  !  a  city  all  around  enclosed  within 
itself. 


SERMONS.  345 

Momentous  to  the  patriot,  especially  in  those 
times,  was  the  impregnability  of  the  capital  city, 
where  in  extreme  peril  everything  sought  refuge, 
and  whose  fall  always  had  as  a  consequence  the 
subjugation  of  the  whole  country.  But  of  no  less 
interest  was  the  sight  of  Jerusalem,  regarded  as  the 
seat  of  the  public  and  common  worship  among  the 
Israelites  :  Wliither  the  tribes  go  up,  thus  we  read 
further,  the  tribes  of  the  Lord,  unto  the  testimony 
of  Israel ;  or  rather  this  is  a  laiv  to  Israel,  to  give 
thanks  unto  the  name  of  the  Lord.  It  was  a  beau- 
tiful appointment  of  Israel's  divine  Law-giver,  which 
required  the  whole  people,  at  set  times  of  the  year, 
to  come  together  at  the  same  place,  with  the  noble 
design  of  unitedly  giving  thanks  to  the  Lord.  Jeho- 
vah himself  fastened  the  cord  which  bound  them  all 
together.  As  long  as  it  was  not  severed  by  human 
rashness,  —  and  in  those  happy  times  this  song  still 
places  us,  —  so  long  could  no  disastrous  dissension 
separate  the  tribes  of  the  Lord  from  each  other,  and 
at  the  sacrificial  repast  was  heard  the  song  of  fra- 
ternal love  :  hoiv  good  and  how  pleasant  it  is  that 
they  ivho  are  brethren  also  dwell  together ;  there  the 
Lord  commands  the  blessing  and  life  for  evermore  ! 

Not  always  had  the  place  of  common  worship 
and  festal  celebration  been  at  the  same  time  the  seat 
of  supreme  authority.  Yea,  as  long  as  the  taber- 
nacle, which  often  changed  its  place  of  abode,  was 
the  sanctuary  of  the  nation,  this  had  but  seldom 
been  the  case.  Even  under  the  reign  0f  David, 
whose  whole  soul  glowed  with  zeal  for  religion,  the 
ark  was  indeed  on  Sion,  and  songs  were  daily  sung 


346  SERMONS. 

there  to  the  honor  of  Israel's  God,  but  when  he 
desired  to  build  there  a  temple  it  was  not  permitted 
him,  because  of  all  the  blood  that  his  hands  had 
shed  in  war.  To  a  prince  of  peace  God  was 
pleased  to  assign  the  work  of  building  him  a  fixed 
habitation  anions  the  Israelites  ;  and  first  when  Sol- 
onion  had  ascended  the  throne  was  the  place  whither 
the  tribes  went  up  to  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord  at 
the  same  time  the  royal  city  where  the  highest 
councils  held  their  sessions,  whence  the  prince 
issued  his  commands  for  the  universal  maintenance 
of  quiet  and  order,  of  right  and  justice,  and  the 
pious  pilgrims  celebrated  it  in  their  songs  :  TJiere 
are  set  thrones  of  judgment,  the  thrones  of  the  house 
of  David. 

Thus  Jerusalem  combined  in  itself  all  that  was 
important  and  dear  to  the  patriotic  and  devout 
Israelite.  He  saw  in  it  the  bulwark  of  the  State, 
the  spot  where  all  the  tribes  were  blended  into  one 
fraternal  people,  the  place  of  his  festal  worship, 
and  the  seat  of  the  royal  dominion  ;  he  saw  in  Jeru- 
salem his  whole  country.  And  what  right-minded 
citizen,  what  rightly  disposed  worshipper  of  Jehovah 
would  not  feel  a  deep  interest  in  the  welfare  and 
prosperity  of  the  national  city  of  God  ?  Who 
would  not  pour  forth  the  most  fervent  supplica- 
tions for  its  prosperity  and  all  that  divine  blessing 
which  is  expressed  by  the  all-comprehensive  word 
peace  ?  Hear  how  our  pious  travellers  to  the  tem- 
ple discharge  this  obligation  ;  how  they  excite  each 
other  to  it  saying,  Pray  for  the  peace  of  Jerusalem  ! 
How  they  esteem  the  lover  of  his  country  alone 


SERMONS.  347 

worthy  to  share  in  its  privileges  :  They  shall  prosper, 
say  they,  that  love  thee,  0  Jerusalem  !  They  wish 
it  at  the  same  time  civil  and  domestic  happiness  : 
Peace  be  in  thy  fortress,  within  thy  walls,  prosperity 
in  thy  pala,ces.  It  is  as  if  we  saw  the  royal  city  with 
its  proud  edifices  before  us  ;  but  the  sight  of  them 
excited  no  envy  in  the  hearts  of  the  simple  rustics  ; 
they  knew  that  the  streams  of  abundance  and  pros- 
perity flowed  under  the  reign  of  a  Solomon  from 
those  palaces  into  the  humble  dwelling  of  the  hus- 
bandman. 

But  what  especially  merits  our  regard  at  the  close 
of  the  psalm  is  the  purity  of  the  sources  whence 
their  patriotic  sentiments  flowed.  Why  was  Jeru- 
salem so  dear  to  them  ?  It  was  because  of  their 
countrymen  ;  they  denominate  them  their  friends 
and  brethren ;  they  recognize  no  odious  distinctions 
resulting  from  party  spirit ;  unity  has  bound  citizen 
to  citizen.  For  my  brethren  and  companions'  sahes 
I  will  now,  I  will  ever  say,  Peace  be  within  thee. 
It  was  because  the  service  of  Jehovah  lay  near 
their  heart ;  because  the  preservation  of  sanctuary, 
of  sacrificial  service  and  festal  celebration,  the  pres- 
ervation of  all  their  religious  privileges,  was  in- 
timately connected  with  that  of  the  country  and 
of  Jerusalem  ;  therefore  they  supplicated  good  for 
country  and  city  from  Him  who  alone  was  mighty 
to  bestow  it,  and  sought  and  asked  it  of  the  Almighty 
and  All-good,  the  God  of  Israel ;  and  they  close 
their  song  thus  :  Because  of  the  house  of  the  Lord 
our  God  I  ivill  seek  thy  good. 

II.    Such,  my  hearers,  are   the   sentiments   ex- 


348  SERMONS. 

pressed  by  these  singers  in  appropriate  and  elegant 
terms.  When  we  take  into  view  that  thev  who 
thus  spoke  and  sung  were  travellers  to  the  temple, 
engaged  in  the  performance  of  a  positive  and  costly 
religious  duty,  then  I  may  certainly  take  occasion 
from  their  words  to  address  you  on  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  the  country,  as  a  duty,  prescribed  by  re- 
ligion, with  which  I  desired  to  entertain  you  in  the 
second  part  of  my  discourse.  I  will  exhibit  to  you 
that  interest  under  a  threefold  aspect :  first,  as  a 
duty  of  gratitude ;  secondly,  as  a  duty  of  philan- 
thropy;  thirdly,  as  a  duty  of  conscientious  regard 
for  our  eternal  interests.  That  in  doing  this  I  shall 
have  my  eye  specially  on  our  country,  and  on  our 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  Old  Netherlands, 
needs  hardly  be  said. 

I  denominated  that  interest  in  the  first  place  a 
duty  of  gratitude.  Do  you  not  suppose,  my  hearers, 
that  the  sight  of  the  flourishing  state  in  which  Je- 
rusalem  was  found  under  Solomon's  wise  reign,  the 
beholding  of  its  high  walls  and  proud  palaces  and 
magnificent  temple,  the  wonder  of  all  the  East,  the 
enjoyment  of  a  universal  prosperity  so  charmingly 
portrayed  by  the  historian  in  these  words :  And 
Judah  and  Israel  dwelt  safely,  every  man  under  his 
vine  and  under  his  fig-tree,  from  Dan  even  to  Beer- 
sheba,  all  the  days  of  Solomon ;  do  you  not  suppose 
that  the  grateful  sense  of  so  many  privileges  stim- 
ulated the  more  the  pious  visitor  of  the  temple 
prayerfully  to  desire  the  peace  of  Jerusalem,  and 
would  have  rendered  indifference  to  the  welfare  of 
his  country  an  unpardonable  dereliction  of  duty  ? 


SERMOXS.  349 

We,  my  hearers,  I  acknowledge  it,  do  not  live  in 
times  such  as  were  those  of  Solomon's  dominion 
for  Israel ;  our  ancestors,  however,  once  beheld  them, 
when  the  treasures  of  the  world  were  poured  into 
the  lap  of  the  Netherlands,  the  remaining  fruits  of 
which  are  still  the  stay  of  our  national  existence. 
But  though  our  condition  now  is  far  less  dazzling, 
and  may  perhaps  in  these  moments  be  termed  criti- 
cal, yet  we  may  reckon  ourselves  among  the  happy 
nations  of  Europe,  one  of  the  happy,  perhaps  of 
the  happiest.  Our  commerce  may  no  longer  be  that 
of  former  days ;  still  there  are,  however,  no  coasts 
which  are  not  visited  by  our  keels,  and  no  seas  on 
which  our  honored  flag  does  not  wave.  Valuable 
colonies  are  still  left  us,  though  we  have  been  de- 
spoiled of  others.  Does  it  appear  that  we  must 
now  be  the  sport  of  a  mischievous  state  policy,  yet 
from  it  has  arisen  a  conflict  on  which  the  whole  civ- 
ilized world  looks  with  deep  interest,  in  which  the 
old  patriotic  heroism  of  the  defenders  of  our  rights 
inspires  all  with  respect  and  awe  for  the  arms  of  a 
people  that  will  not  suffer  itself  to  be  attacked  with 
impunity  on  its  own  soil.  Have  the  Netherlands 
ever  been,  since  the  glorious  days  of  our  fathers 
when  they  founded  the  Commonwealth,  more  than 
now  the  object  of  the  esteem,  of  the  admiration 
of  the  nations  ;  and  may  we  not  from  this  promise 
ourselves  in  the  future  salutary  fruits,  whilst  our 
enemies  themselves  must  be  ashamed  of  the  injus- 
tice done  us,  and  the  injury  treacherously  inflicted 
on  us  ?  With  all  this  there  reigns  in  the  midst 
of  our  country  undisturbed  rest  and  security ;  the 


350  SERMONS. 

industrious  can  earn  his  bread  ;  he  who  possesses 
abundance  can  enjoy  his  abundance  ;  no  part  of  our 
country  exhibits  that  melancholy  aspect  of  poverty 
and  wretchedness  which  elsewhere  strikes  the  eyes 
of  beholders.  The  heavy  burdens  which  the  pres- 
sure of  the  times  imposes  on  us  are  borne,  and 
there  is  money  left  with  which  to  supply  the  wants 
of  the  destitute  ;  money  also  to  replenish  the  na- 
tional treasury.  Where  is  there  a  people  that 
enjoys  more  true  liberty,  protected  by  wise  laws, 
without  being  exposed  to  violence  or  despotism  ? 
And  were  these  Netherlands  formerly  indeed  al- 
ways distracted  by  dissensions,  rent  by  factions, 
has  not  that  disastrous  fire  been  extinguished,  and 
are  not  our  people  bound  together  by  the  pleasant 
bond  of  unity  ?  and  do  they  not  range  themselves 
as  one  man  around  the  princely  stock  of  a  king 
honored  and  loved  by  all,  and  who  as  the  glory  of 
the  princes  of  Europe  receives  homage  from  the 
lips  of  all  ?  And  now,  my  hearers,  should  not 
the  contemplation  of  all  this  good  bind  us  to  this 
fatherland ;  bind  us  to  it  in  gratitude  ?  from  a  prin- 
ciple of  gratitude  raise  to  the  highest  point  our 
interest  in  its  welfare  ?  Or  to  whom  are  we  in- 
debted for  all  this  ?  Were  we  to  say  to  ourselves, 
our  own  history  of  earlier  days  would  belie  us. 
No,  to  God  alone  our  thanks  are  due,  on  whose 
blessing  all  depends  !  To  him,  who  could  kindle 
and  sustain  heroic  courage  in  the  breast  of  the  de- 
fenders of  the  Netherlands  ;  who  preserved  us  in 
the  possession  of  what  remained  to  us  of  ancestral 
power ;  who  teaches  us  to  make  an  intelligent  use 


SERMONS.  351 

of  our  liberty  in  the  State  ;  who  brought  us  into 
the  iron  furnace  of  tyranny,  to  make  us  on  our  de- 
liverance from  it  a  nation  of  brethren  ;  and  who 
has  granted  us  a  prince  under  whose  reign  the  lot 
of  the  Netherlands  is  enviable  in  the  eves  of  the 
nations  !  Unhappy  he  who,  uninfluenced  by  grati- 
tude to  God,  does  not  feel  himself  incited  by  so 
many  benefits  to  love  this  dear  land  of  our  nativity, 
on  which  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  are  set  for  good. 
Whoever  may  make  himself  guilty  of  this  ingrati- 
tude, and  sigh  and  complain,  and  by  the  calamities 
which  we  must  bear  close  his  eyes  to  the  loving- 
kindnesses  of  our  God,  we  will,  as  inhabitants  of 
a  land  which  God  still  continues  to  regard  with  so 
much  favor,  pray  for  the  peace  of  this  our  Jerusa- 
lem, and  say  :  They  shall  prosper  that  love  thee ; 
and  apply  to  ourselves  the  words  of  another  poet 
when  he  said:  If  I  forget  thee,  0  Jerusalem,  let  my 
right  hand  forget  her  cunning.  If  I  do  not  remem- 
ber thee,  let  my  tongue  cleave  to  the  roof  of  my 
mouth;  if  I  prefer  not  Jerusalem  above  my  chief 
Joy. 

Interest  in  the  welfare  of  one's  country  is,  sec- 
ondly, therefore  also  a  duty  prescribed  to  us  by 
religion,  because  it  is  a  duty  of  philanthropy.  For 
love  to  one's  country  is  certainly  not  love  to  that 
which  is  insensible  or  irrational  in  it,  but  love  to  our 
fellow-citizens,  who  inhabit  with  us  the  same  coun- 
try ;  and  it  is  for  our  brethren  and  companions1  sakes 
that  we  say  to  it,  Peace  be  within  thee  ! 

Among  the  characteristic  traits  of  our  human 
nature,  which  are  as  ineffaceable  as  some  of  them 


352    '  SERMONS. 

are  inexplicable,  belongs  also  that  inward  affection 
which  each  feels  for  the  land  of  his  nativity  and 
abode  ;  that  mysterious  bond  by  which  he  is  fast- 
ened to  it.  Who  is  there  that  does  not  feel  his 
heart  beat  more  quickly  when  its  honor  or  interest 
or  happiness  is  assailed  ?  Who  does  not  rejoice  in 
its  prosperity  and  glory,  and  seem  to  appropriate 
to  himself  a  portion  of  it,  though  he  may  only  be 
very  remotely  involved  therein  ?  Why  are  now 
the  eyes  of  us  all  directed  thither  where  a  coura- 
geous garrison  of  our  country,  with  a  venerable  hero 
at  its  head,  maintains  the  honor  and  the  rights  of 
the  Netherlands,  and  we  sometimes  forget  all  in 
order  to  accompany  them  with  our  most  fervent 
wishes  ?  Is  this  perchance  only  disguised  pride  ? 
But  does  it  become  us  thus  to  pass  sentence  of 
condemnation,  and  pronounce  that  criminal  or  sinful 
which  has  in  all  ages  been  regarded  most  beautiful 
and  noble,  and  by  which  the  best  of  men  have  dis- 
tinguished themselves  from  a  low  and  selfish  rab- 
ble?  Thanks  to  God,  they  constitute  but  a  small 
portion  !  Pride,  you  say  ;  but  can  it  then  be  also 
called  pride  when  he  who  in  a  foreign  land  meets 
with  one  of  his  own  countrymen,  whom  he  never 
saw  and  with  whom  he  never  had  any  interest  in 
common,  presently  feels  himself  drawn  towards 
him  as  by  an  irresistible  inclination,  and  rejoices 
as  if  he  had  found  a  kinsman,  a  brother  ?  No  ;  this 
is  no  pride,  no  self-interest ;  it  is  a  modification  of 
that  unlimited  law  of  love  which  God's  own  finger 
has  written  in  the  heart  of  man.  We  are  destined, 
formed,  not  to  a  limited  and  contracted,  but  to  a 


SERMONS.  353 

universal  love  of  man,  and  to  add,  as  sprung  from 
one  blood,  as  an  apostle  says,  to  brotherly  love,  love 
to  all  men.  But  this  love  must  as  from  a  centre 
constantly  spread  further  and  further  ;  as  a  stone, 
cast  into  the  water,  forms  first  smaller,  then  larger 
and  constantly  larger  circles,  until  they  are  lost  in 
the  general  flood.  Thus  we  learn  from  our  earliest 
childhood  to  embrace,  in  a  love  that  is  constantly  ex- 
tending, first  mother  and  father,  afterwards  brothers 
and  sisters,  then  spouse  and  children,  further  kins- 
men and  friends,  those  with  whom  we  are  brought 
into  relation  by  social  intercourse,  and  finally  also 
all  who  with  us  live  in  one  civil  society,  under  the 
same  laws,  speak  the  same  language,  adhere  to 
the  same  customs  and  manners,  and  acknowledge 
the  same  common  ancestry  ;  and,  if  we  be  faithful 
to  our  original  disposition,  constantly  to  approach 
to  that  universal  brotherhood  wherein  all  that  con- 
cerns humanity  also  nearly  affects  us,  and  we  feel 
the  strength  of  the  law  prescribed  to  us  by  man's 
greatest  friend  :  All  things  whatsoever  ye  would 
that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them. 
Behold,  my  hearers,  such  a  link  is  love  to  one's 
country  in  the  great,  the  sacred  chain  of  general 
benevolence  ;  and  if  love  be  the  soul  of  all  true 
religion,  if  love  be  the  fulfilling  of  the  whole  divine 
law,  can  we  then  doubt  whether  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  one's  country  be  a  duty  prescribed  to  us 
by  religion  ?  Do  not  imagine  that  God's  word  has 
withholden  from  us  examples  of  it.  Think  of  a 
Moses,  who,  when  God  said  to  him,  I  will  destroy 
this  ungrateful  people  and  make  of  thee  a  greater 

23 


354  SERMONS. 

nation  than  this,  desired  to  live  and  die  with  his 
beloved  Israel.  Think  of  a  David,  who,  when  the 
pestilence  raged  around  him,  said  to  God:  Lord, 
smite  me  and  my  house  !  it  is  I  who  have  sinned  ; 
but  as  for  these  sheep,  what  have  they  done  ?  Or 
will  you  in  thought  ascend  higher,  hear  a  Paul  say : 
For  I  could  wish  that  myself  were  accursed  from 
Christ,  for  my  brethren,  my  kinsmen  according  to 
the  flesh.  See  our  ever  -  blessed  Redeemer  shed 
tears  over  the  fate  that  awaited  his  land  and  people, 
and  hear  him,  fainting  under  the  burden  of  his 
cross,  say  to  the  weeping  and  lamenting  women : 
Daughters  of  Jerusalem,  weep  not  for  me,  but  weep 
for  yourselves,  and  for  your  children.  We  know, 
therefore,  when  we  love  our  country,  which  contains 
all  that  is  dear  to  us,  when  we  love  it  as  the  child 
the  mother  in  whose  bosom  he  was  cherished,  that 
we  obey  the  law  of  love,  which  is  the  law  of  God, 
and  for  the  sake  of  our  brethren  and  our  friends 
will  we  seek  the  good  of  the  Netherlands. 

But  the  same  is  also  required,  in  the  third  place, 
by  a  conscientious  regard  to  our  higher  and  eternal 
interests.  What  the  poet  says  in  our  psalm,  Because 
of  the  house  of  the  Lord  our  God  I  will  seek  thy 
good,  we  may  also  apply  to  our  fatherland.  Not  so, 
I  admit,  as  it  was  in  the  case  of  the  Israelites,  with 
whom  the  destruction  of  city  and  land  and  temple 
carried  with  it  the  annihilation  of  their  entire  wor- 
ship. No,  the  time  has  come  in  which  neither  Geri- 
zim  nor  Jerusalem  is  the  place  of  worship,  but  all 
true  worshippers  can  everywhere  worship  God  in 
spirit  and  in  truth  !  Not  only  here,  but  elsewhere  also 


SERMONS.  355 

and  in  other  regions,  can  we,  fearless  of  accursed 
constraint  of  conscience,  boldly  confess  our  God  and 
Saviour  and  the  gospel  of  grace,  and  live  accord- 
ing to  its  precepts.  But  should  not,  however,  this 
patrimony  of  our  fathers  be  dear  to  us  above  every- 
thing, because  it  was  so  early  the  seat  of  a  purified 
religion  ;  because  here  the  warfare  against  super- 
stition was  maintained  at  the  expense  of  life,  and 
so  many  streams  of  blood  were  shed  to  secure  the 
triumph  of  truth  ?  And  where  even  now  is  the 
doctrine  of  the  sinner's  reconciliation  with  God, 
through  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  so  generally,  so 
earnestly,  so  agreeably  to  the  sound  apostolic  teach- 
ing, preached  and  believed  and  confessed  as  in 
this  our  happy  land  ?  Has  it  been  elsewhere 
assailed  by  a  dry  and  jejune  naturalism  ;  it  has 
found  here  defenders  :  have  the  free  investigation 
and  exposition  of  the  Bible  been  abused,  to  wrest, 
to  falsify  the  sense  of  this  most  precious  of  all  books, 
and  to  reason  away  its  mysteries  of  faith ;  here  it 
has  been  known  how  to  guard  against  this  seduc- 
tive example,  to  keep  the  middle  way  between  li- 
cense and  stubborn  rejection  of  the  better,  and  of 
the  light  of  the  times, — of  this  our  schools  and  pul- 
pits can  bear  witness,  —  to  make  the  light  of  the 
times  subserve  the  preaching  of  Jesus  Christ,  as 
the  poiver  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God.  Are 
there  among  us  those  who  deny  and  misinterpret 
this,  because  they  regard  the  explanation  of  God's 
word  as  closed  for  the  past  two  centuries,  and  hold 
human  utterances  for  dictates  of  God's  Holy  Spirit, 
we  say  with  Paul :   Though  some  should  even  preach 


356  SERMONS. 

Christ  of  envy  and  strife,  yet  in  every  way,  ivhether 
in  pretence  or  in  truth,  Christ  is  preached;  and 
therein  do  we  rejoice.  Should  not  the  land  be  dear 
to  us  where  it  is  no  reproach  to  be  named  after 
the  name  of  Jesus  ;  where  the  king  sets  his  people 
an  example  of  respect  for  all  that  is  holy  and  divine, 
of  appreciation  of  the  truth  which  is  according  to 
godliness  ?  the  land  where  the  houses  of  worship 
stand  open  for  us  every  Lord's  Day,  and  peace  is 
spoken  to  our  souls  in  the  way  of  faith,  of  penitence 
and  conversion ;  where  we  may  publicly  dedicate 
our  children  to  God  by  baptism,  may  bind  ourselves 
to  him  by  confession  of  the  truth,  and  in  the  use 
of  the  bread  and  wine  of  the  Supper  show  forth 
the  death  of  our  Lord  until  he  come  ?  Where  else 
should  we  so  enjoy  all  these  things  as  in  this  good 
land  ;  so  many  exhortations,  admonitions,  and  con- 
solations from  the  glorious  gospel  of  God ;  so  many 
voices  which  proclaim  to  us,  This  is  the  way,  walk 
ye  in  it !  so  many  means  to  our  eternal  salvation  ? 
Surely,  from  a  regard  also  to  the  interests  of  our 
immortal  souls,  will  we,  above  all  things,  lay  to 
heart  the  welfare  of  the  Netherlands.  Because  of 
the  house  of  the  Lord  our  God  ivill  we  seek  our 
country  s  good! 

III.  I  must  finally  occupy  your  attention  for  a  few 
moments  on  the  manner  in  which  it  becomes  us  to 
discharge  this  religious  duty.  I  can  here  be  brief, 
for  the  principles  from  which  the  performance  of 
this  duty  must  flow,  point  out  to  us  how  we  must 
perform  it,  —  by  thankfulness,  by  love,  and  true 
religiousness. 


SERMONS.  357 

Gratitude,  my  hearers,  such  as  becomes  the  pa- 
triotic Christian,  consists  not  merely  in  the  acknowl- 
edgment and  appreciation  of  the  privileges  which 
we  enjoy,  but  also  of  those  which  we  have  enjoyed, 
and  consequent  submission  and  contentment  when 
deprived  of  them.  Unhappy  the  man  who  is  in- 
sensible to  the  benefits  and  blessings,  which  are 
allotted  him,  and  who  never  renders  thanks  to  God 
for  them  with  heart  or  mouth  !  But  unhappy  also 
he  who,  when  deprived  of  them,  forgets  that  he 
once  possessed  them,  and  deports  himself  as  if  he 
had  been  bereft  of  that  to  which  he  had  a  legal 
claim  !  Is  now,  my  hearers,  our  safety,  our  welfare, 
our  very  existence  threatened ;  do  injustice  and 
violence  compel  us  to  make  sacrifices,  sacrifices  of 
property  and  blood,  which  we  hardly  considered  as 
any  longer  possible ;  let  us  remember  the  years 
that  are  past ;  let  us  remember  the  joyful  and  mar- 
vellous deliverance  by  which  we  have  again  become 
a  free  people ;  as  we  remember  these  things,  let  us 
bear  with  courage  and  patience  what  is  now  laid 
upon  us,  and  make  the  words  of  the  sufferer  ours  : 
Wliat !  shall  we  receive  good  at  the  hand  of  God, 
and  shall  ive  not  receive  evil  ? 

If  religious  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  country 
is  enjoined  upon  us  by  the  law  of  love,  then  it  must 
also  appear  in  deeds  of  love.  There  are,  alas  !  men 
who  call  themselves  patriots,  yea,  sometimes  above 
others,  who,  neither  in  their  domestic  nor  in  their 
social  intercourse  nor  in  their  relations,  afford  any 
evidence  that  they  are  animated  by  the  spirit  of 
love.    And  with  such  cold,  contracted  hearts,  would 


358  SERMONS. 

it  be  possible  for  them  to  bear  on  their  heart  the 
interests  of  a  whole  society,  and  with  uprightness 
to  say :  For  the  sake  of  my  brethren  and  friends  1 
will  say,  Peace  be  within  thee?  He  who  truly 
cherishes  love  in  his  inmost  soul,  and  manifests  it  by 
doing  in  his  sphere  all  the  good  that  is  in  his  power, 
by  lightening  misfortunes,  wiping  away  tears,  suc- 
coring those  who  stand  in  need  of  assistance  or  ad- 
vice  or  comfort,  by  cultivating  peace  and  unity,  by 
promoting  as  well  the  pleasure  and  profit  of  society 
as  by  voluntarily  opening  his  hands  for  the  country 
and  its  valiant  defenders  ;  he  who  thus  cherishes  love 
in  a  pure  heart,  and  manifests  love  from  a  principle 
of  obedience  to  the  God  of  love,  is  the  true  friend 
of  his  people  and  country ;  and  where  love  thus 
dwells,  there  God  commands  the  blessing  and  life  for- 


ever more  J 


We  must,  finally,  manifest  our  interest  in  the  wel- 
fare of  our  country  by  true  religiousness,  and,  because 
of  the  house  of  the  Lord  our  God,  seek  its  good.  Oh 
that  every  citizen  of  the  Netherlands  cherished 
hatred  and  aversion  to  those  popular  vices  which 
are  the  pest  of  society,  and,  more  than  any  foe  from 
without,  work  or  hasten  its  fall !  That  each  were 
careful  to  lead  a  pure  and  blameless  life  !  That  all 
diligently  improved  the  opportunity  of  hearing  the 
gospel  preached  in  the  house  of  God,  and  that  it 
were  the  language  of  all :  We  were  glad  when  they 
said  unto  us,  Let  us  go  into  the  house  of  the  Lord  ! 
Let  us,  in  the  church  and  in  our  houses  and 
closets,  heartily  send  up  to  God  our  prayers  for  the 
peace  of  our  Jerusalem,  and  earnestly  seek  of  him 


SERMONS.  359 

the  good  of  our  land  and  people.  And  should  we 
do  this  from  the  upright  principle  of  faith  in  our 
God  and  Saviour,  we  should  not  only  cooperate  to 
the  preservation  of  our  country,  but  also  —  and  God 
grant  that  it  may  be  the  choice  of  us  all  —  labor  for 
the  preservation  of  our  souls  for  eternity.     Amen. 


360  SERMONS. 


SERMON  IX. 

DEVOUT   CONTEMPLATION  OF  THE 
RAINBOW. 

The  witness  in  heaven  is  faithful.  —  Psalm  Ixxxix.  37. 

There  is  no  spectacle  more  striking  or  transport- 
ing than  visible,  created  nature,  which  is  itself  the 
mother  of  art,  the  original  image  of  all  that  can 
be  called  beautiful,  from  which  we  cannot  deviate 
without  offending  unadulterated  feeling  and  uncor- 
rupted  taste.  Everywhere  this  beauty  of  nature 
beams  in  our  eyes  ;  it  shines  forth  in  the  greatest, 
and  is  not  excluded  from  the  most  insignificant ; 
from  the  most  brilliant  of  the  celestial  luminaries 
to  the  dust  and  the  grain  of  sand  under  our  feet ; 
from  the  most  magnificent  animal  frame  to  the  in- 
sect  that  we  trample  on,  it  is  all  irreprehensible, 
inimitable,  glorious ! 

And  yet  we  hardly  half  see  this  nature  when  we 
view  it  alone  as  it  presents  itself  to  the  eye,  when 
we  do  not  in  the  work  recognize  the  Maker,  and 
the  invisible  things  of  G-od  are  not  from  the  creatures 
understood  and  clearly  seen,  both  his  eternal  power 
and  Godhead.  Then  it  is,  with  all  its  motion  and 
life,  mournful  and  dead,  less  than  a  cold  print, 
whereby  we  at  least  still  do  homage  to  the  hand 
that  projected  and  engraved  it.      But  behold  we  it 


SERMONS.  361 

as  the  product  of  a  wise,  beneficent  Supreme  Power ; 
as  an  effect  of  the  highest  love,  of  the  highest 
order,  of  the  highest  blessedness,  which,  itself  inde- 
pendent of  the  work  of  its  fingers,  has  impressed 
on  all  things  the  seal  of  its  unbounded  perfection, 
the  ineffaceable  marks  of  its  eternal  power  and  God- 
head ;  then  arises  upon  all  a  new,  a  clear,  and  joy- 
ous light ;  a  sacred  fire  courses  through  bosom 
and  veins,  and  our  rapturous  contemplation  of  the 
beautiful,  of  transporting  nature,  becomes  grateful 
adoration  of  the  Father  who  is  in  the  heavens. 

Also  in  this  respect,  for  the  exciting  of  this  gen- 
uine, pure,  and  elevated  feeling  for  nature,  the 
word  of  God  contains  for  us  a  treasure  of  knowl- 
edge and  learning.  There  is  no  book  in  the  world 
that  in  bold  and  magnificent,  that  in  true  and  deeply- 
felt  description  of  nature  can  be  compared  with  the 
Bible.  One  must  never  have  read  the  book  of  Job, 
nor  the  most  beautiful  of  the  Psalms,  and  among 
them  the  one  hundredth  and  fourth,  nor  the  writ- 
ings of  the  Prophets,  to  be  able  to  call  this  in 
question ;  yea,  all  the  sacred  writings,  even  those 
of  the  New  Testament,  and  the  discourses  of  our 
Saviour  above  all,  are  imbued  with  this  pure  feeling 
for  nature.  But  everywhere  it  is  God  who  animates 
it,  the  Original,  the  Father  of  all  that  exists ;  who 
clothes  the  fields  with  verdure,  and  adorns  the  flower 
with  its  colors  ;  who  with  each  returning  spring 
renews  the  face  of  the  earth ;  who  opens  his  liberal 
hand  and  satisfies  every  living  thing  ;  to  whom  the 
young  ravens  cry,  the  young  lions  roar  for  food ; 
by  whom  the  dew  and  the  rain  are  begotten  ;  who 


362  SERMONS. 

has  treasuries  of  snow  and  hail ;  who  directs  the 
hurricanes,  gives  commandment  to  the  lightnings, 
and  whose  voice  makes  itself  heard  in  the  thunder  ; 
who  maintains  the  ordinances  of  heaven,  brings 
every  evening  the  host  of  the  stars  all  numbered 
to  view ;  and  without  whose  will  not  a  sparrow  falls 
to  the  earth  ! 

Yea,  not  even  to  this  does  the  instruction  of  the 
biblical  revelation  confine  itself:  it  teaches  us  more- 
over that  what  God  is  in  the  kingdom  of  nature, 
that  he  is  in  the  kingdom  of  spirits  and  of  grace  ; 
that  he  governs  the  visible  and  the  moral  world  ac- 
cording to  similar  laws  of  wisdom,  love,  and  fidelity, 
and  that  we  in  heaven,  earth,  and  sea,  in  all  that 
the  finger  of  God's  omnipotence  has  wrought,  can, 
as  in  a  faithful  mirror,  behold  what  his  rational 
creatures,  for  their  forming  and  perfection,  for  their 
preparation  for  a  better  and  eternally  blessed  life, 
may  hope  and  expect  from  him ! 

Of  this  I  would  in  this  hour  communicate  to  you 
a  remarkable  proof,  and  fix  your  attention  on  a 
beautiful  and  brilliant  phenomenon  of  nature  as 
God's  faithful  witness  in  heaven,  appointed  by  him- 
self as  a  sign  of  his  forbearance  and  love,  of  his 
unchangeable  truth,  and  how  the  good  word  once 
spoken  by  him  can  never  fail.  Let  us  prepare  our- 
selves for  this  meditation  by  united  and  solemn 

PRAYER. 

O  Thou  whose  glory  the  heavens  declare,  whose 
handywork  the  firmament  proclaims,  whose  is  the 
earth  with  all  its  fulness,  the  sea  with  all  that  is 


SERMONS.  363 

therein :  yea,  thy  invisible  things,  thy  eternal,  un- 
created nature  is,  since  the  creation  of  the  world, 
understood  and  clearly  seen  from  thy  creatures, 
both  thy  eternal  power  and  Godhead  ;  and  what 
can  be  known  of  thee  is  revealed  and  presented 
to  view  in  thy  creatures !  We  gaze  upon  this  mag- 
nificent spectacle  of  nature,  and  we  adore  the  great 
Creator  !  Wherever  we  turn  our  eyes  the  magnif- 
icence of  thy  works  testifies  of  the  majesty  of  the 
great  Architect !  They  are  all  wonders  that  we 
behold,  scattered  by  thy  hand  with  lavish  profusion, 
like  dust  around  us  ;  and  it  is  not  simply  the  sea 
that  roars  to  us,  each  leaflet  also  rustles  to  us : 
Great  is  our  God,  and  greatly  to  be  praised,  and 
his  loving-kindness  is  to  eternity  !  Yes,  merciful 
and  liberal  Heavenly  Father,  all  that  magnificence 
and  splendor  are  not  merely  an  exhibition  of  un- 
bounded power  and  skill :  thou  hast  made  them 
subordinate  and  subservient  to  a  love  and  care  in 
which  all  things  share,  all  things  rejoice,  all  things 
feel  happy.  Therefore  all  nature  praises  thee,  and 
let  all  that  hath  breath  praise  thee,  King  of  glory  ! 
How  happy  are  we  that  thou  hast  given  us  or- 
gans of  sense  which  can  apprehend  all  this  beauty 
and  glory,  and  a  heart  that  can  feel  it ;  that  thou 
hast  endowed  us  with  rational  powers  which  can 
rise  above  the  dust  and  visible  things,  and  from  the 
things  made  know  the  Maker ;  that  thou  hast  ex- 
alted us  to  be  interpreters  and  priests  of  inanimate 
and  irrational  nature,  to  bring  its  praise  and  the 
offerings  of  its  gratitude  before  thy  throne  !  Yea, 
Lord,  we  are  highly  privileged  by  thee ;    a  voice 


364  SERMONS. 

proclaims  it  within  us,  and  the  word  of  thy  revela- 
tion confirms  it;  the  material  world  is  a  shadow 
and  image  of  the  world  of  spirits,  and  what  won- 
ders of  wisdom  and  love  the  bodily  eye  sees  around 
it,  the  eye  of  the  soul  beholds  them  still  greater 
and  more  adorable,  when  it  observes  thy  moral 
government,  the  ample  supply  of  infinite  wants, 
the  ways  of  thy  grace  and  compassion  to  reclaim 
and  save  a  sinning  race  ;  when  from  the  dust  we 
ascend  in  thought  to  thy  uncreated  throne,  where 
the  visible  and  the  invisible  creation  marvellously 
linked  together  lose  themselves  in  thee,  their  eter- 
nal origin,  and  all  thoughts  and  all  emotions  are 
swallowed  up  by  this  one  :  God  is  love ! 

We  have  separated  this  hour  of  solemn  religious 
exercise  to  these  sublime  contemplations  ;  elevate 
and  ennoble,  cleanse  and  purify  our  hearts,  that  we 
may  spend  it  to  thy  honor  and  to  our  salvation. 
Ah  !  we  feel  that  it  is  we  who  have  defiled  by  our 
sins  thy  magnificent  creation,  we  who  should  have 
been  its  crown  and  glory  ;  but  thine  own  Son  has 
assumed  our  nature  to  reinstate  us  in  our  rights  and 
in  thy  paternal  favor ;  and  as  we  are  now  about  to 
lisp  with  one  another  respecting  thy  greatness  and 
goodness  visible  in  nature  and  grace,  behold  us  in 
the  Son  of  thy  love,  the  heir  of  all  thy  possessions, 
through  whom  we  have  access  to  thy  throne,  and 
full  restoration  to  thy  fatherly  favor,  when  we  accept 
him  with  true  faith  and  love  him  as  our  Lord  and 
Saviour.  Whereto  we  pray  thee  that  the  word 
preached  may  also  in  this  hour  be  subservient,  and 
thy  grace  be  glorified  in  the  preservation  of  our 
souls  for  eternity.     Amen. 


SERMONS.  365 

The  Psalm  to  which  the  words  read  belong  was 
composed  at  a  time  when  David's  kingdom  and 
royal  house  were  in  deep  abasement,  so  that  there 
was  fear,  certainly  according  to  human  prospects, 
that  God's  promises  relative  to  the  eternal  duration 
of  his  dominion  should  in  the  issue  fail.  This  is 
the  subject  which  is  from  the  commencement  to  the 
close  treated  in  this  majestic  and  affecting  song.  It 
begins  with  the  mention  of  the  glorious  prospects 
which  God  had  opened  to  David  his  servant  and 
favorite,  and  the  recollection  of  which  incites  the 
poet  to  a  reverential  celebration  of  God's  greatness, 
power,  and  goodness,  and  of  Israel's  privileges  as 
called  to  know  and  serve  that  God  and  to  be  his 
favored  people.  This  portion  is,  in  the  twentieth 
and  following  verses,  succeeded  by  an  ample  and 
poetic  paraphrase  of  the  promises  themselves  which 
God  by  the  mouth  of  one  of  his  prophets  had  made 
to  David,  and  which  are  here  in  their  fulness  of 
blessings  and  infallible  certainty  exhibited  to  the 
thirty-eighth  verse.  In  the  remainder  of  the  psalm 
we  find  bitter  complaints  touching  the  lamentable 
condition  of  a  throne  and  race  respecting  which 
such  precious  expectations  had  been  excited,  joined 
to  earnest  and  hearty  prayers  that  God  in  this  ex- 
tremity would  command  deliverance  and  confirm 
his  word  that  had  been  given. 

The  words  of  our  text  thus  constitute  the  con- 
clusion of  the  poetic  periphrasis  of  the  promise 
touching  David's  dominion  and  its  endless  dura- 
tion. The  Creator  of  nature  appeals  to  his  works, 
to  their  constant  order  in  the  midst  of  continual 


366  SERMONS. 

change.  He  speaks  of  the  resplendent  bodies  which 
daily  or  in  ampler  periods  complete  their  regular 
course  in  the  heaven  ;  and  as  these,  as  sun  and 
moon  never  fail  at  the  appointed  time  to  cherish 
the  earth  by  day,  or  by  night  to  dispel  the  dark- 
ness, as  they  shall  not  cease  to  make  their  benign 
influence  felt  as  long  as  the  globe  which  we  inhabit 
shall  retain  its  place  among  the  host  of  creatures, 
so  also  should  David's  house  be  stable,  and  shine 
with  continually  renewed  lustre  to  the  end  of  the 
ages :  His  seed  shall  endure  for  ever,  and  Ids  throne 
as  the  sun  before  me.  It  shall  be  established  for  ever 
as  the  moon. 

Upon  this  follows,  in  my  text,  And  the  witness  in 
heaven  is  faithful.  Our  translation  is  in  this  place 
not  perfectly  accurate,  by  reason  of  the  use  of  the 
ambiguous  word  heaven,  by  which  in  the  biblical 
writings  also  the  seat  of  God's  glory  is  indicated, 
whilst  the  word  here  employed  in  the  original  sig- 
nifies exclusively  the  shy,  the  so-called  welkin  ;  let 
it  be  read  thus :  The  witness  in  the  clouds  is  faith- 
ful ;  or  rather :  The  witness  in  the  clouds  ivhich  is 
faithful ;  the  faithful  witness  in  the  clouds. 

But  what  is  this  faithful  witness  in  the  sky  ?  If 
witnesses  in  the  plural  were  here  read,  we  should 
naturally  think  of  sun  and  moon  both  as  witnesses 
called  in,  as  signs  for  confirmation  of  the  unchange- 
able faithfulness  of  God's  promises  ;  though  even 
then  the  use  of  the  word  witnesses,  in  the  significa- 
tion of  confirmatory  signs,  in  this  connection  at  least, 
would  not  be  without  doubt  and  embarrassment. 
But  now  since  we  meet  here  with  the  singular  num- 


SERMONS.  867 

ber,  it  is  with  still  greater  difficulty  that  we  think 
of  the  one  or  other  of  these  two  luminaries.  We 
should  then,  as  is  done  by  most  expositors,  be  obliged 
to  refer  it  to  the  moon,  which  is  spoken  of  imme- 
diately before  ;  but  is  it  probable  that  this  with  its  in- 
ferior, derived  lustre, —  that  it,  and  not  much  rather 
the  sun,  should  be  called  in  as  witness  of  God's 
covenant  with  David  ?  and  that  the  poet,  if  any- 
thing like  that  had  been  present  to  his  mind,  would 
not  rather  by  reversing  the  order  have  said  :  His 
throne  shall  be  before  me  as  the  moon ;  it  shall  be 
established  for  ever  as  the  sun,  which  is  a  faithful 
witness  in  the  clouds  ?  But  it  is  in  our  judgment 
more  than  probable  that  by  the  faithful  witness  in 
the  clouds  something  is  understood  distinct  from  sun 
and  moon ;  yea,  the  nature  of  the  phrases,  the 
riches  and  climax  of  the  poetic  assertion,  seem  to 
demand  something  like  that,  something  new,  cer- 
tainly if  nature,  besides  the  celestial  bodies,  offers  to 
us  in  the  clouds  a  phenomenon  sufficiently  magnifi- 
cent to  be  introduced  in  connection  with  the  sun 
and  moon,  and  adapted  to  inflame  the  imagination 
of  an  Israelitish  poet,  and  to  express  in  this  place 
his  sublime  conception.  And  who  is  there  to  whom 
here  the  bow  of  the  covenant  in  the  clouds  is  not  pres- 
ently suggested,  once  appointed  by  God  himself  as  a 
witness  of  the  unehancreableness  of  his  loving-kind- 
ness  and  of  the  faithfulness  of  his  promises  ?  To 
whom  can  it  seem  strange  that  the  sacred  poet 
brings  the  covenant  made  with  David  and  the 
covenant  established  with  Noah  into  connection 
with  each  other,  since  both  contemplated  the  sal- 


368  SERMONS. 

vation  of  mankind,  sealed  God's  love  to  mankind ; 
and  that  he,  speaking  of  sun  and  moon  as  resplen- 
dent images  and  signs  of  the  perpetuity  of  David's 
throne  and  kingdom,  turns  back  in  thought  to  that 
affecting  epoch  of  the  renewed  and  restored  earth 
just  issued  from  the  waters  of  the  flood,  when  God 
said  to  Noah,  I  do  set  my  boiv  in  the  cloud,  and  it  shall 
be  for  a  token  of  the  covenant  between  me  and  the  earth  ? 
Age  after  age  had  already  passed  since  God  had 
said  this,  and  never  had  that  bow  appeared  in  the 
aerial  canopy  but  it  spoke  to  the  memory  of  each 
Israelite  :  What  God  promises  is  true  !  Yes,  if  any- 
thing that  is  visible  in  the  heaven  deserves  to  be 
thus  periphrased,  it  is  the  rainbow,  which  in  poetic 
Bible-language  may  be  styled  the  faithful  witness 
in  the  clouds. 

Led  to  it  by  these  words,  I  desired  to  devote  this 
hour  of  common  meditation  to  a  devout  contem- 
plation of  the  rainboiv,  especially  as  it  is  the  pledge 
of  God's  love  and  faithfulness  in  the  fulfilment  of 
the  most  precious  promises  made  to  mankind. 

I.  I  shall  to  this  end  cause  you  first  to  contem- 
plate it  as  a  beautiful  and  magnificent  phenomenon 
of  nature,  and  at  the  same  time  remind  you  when 
and  how  God  appointed  it  as  his  witness  in  the 
clouds  ; 

II.  And  secondly,  indicate  what  devout  reflections 
the  contemplation  of  it,  by  the  light  of  divine 
revelation,  should  cause  to  arise  in  our  mind. 

I.  Never  does  art  more  fully  display  its  wealth 
than  when  by  one  cause  it  produces  many  distinct 
effects  ;   when  one  simple  power,  working   accord- 


SERMONS.  369 

ing  to  the  same  laws,  without  new  supply,  without 
greater  exertion,  causes  the  production  of  a  series  of 
different  and  successive  phenomena,  each  of  which 
is  worthy  to  have  a  separate  origin.  But  if  you 
would  see  this  opulence  in  all  its  lustre,  in  its  whole 
immensity,  behold  that  which  is  wrought  by  the 
skill  of  nature ;  in  whose  boundless  space  all,  from 
the  most  insignificant  to  the  greatest  and  most 
astonishing,  is  governed  by  one  law  ;  all  is  brought 
and  kept  in  station  and  order,  in  motion  and  course, 
by  one  cause ;  and  the  celestial  spheres  revolve  in 
their  orbits  by  the  same  simple  power  which  causes 
the  ripened  fruit  to  drop  from  the  tree  to  the  earth. 
And  just  so  it  is  with  the  lesser  elements  of  created 
nature  ;  each  of  them,  whilst  it  answers  its  main 
design,  attains  at  the  same  time  so  many  subordinate 
ends  that  we  nowhere  see  the  limits  where  its  in- 
fluence ceases.  Who  dares  guess  to  what  the  sun, 
as  God's  minister,  is  present  in  the  universe  ?  But 
to  us  it  is  the  source  of  both  light  and  heat.  With- 
out  it,  we  had  in  vain  received  the  organ  of  sight. 
It  attires  and  colors,  it  illumines  and  exhilarates 
all.  Without  it,  this  earth  had  been  covered  with 
an  unfruitful  ice-crust,  and  the  heaven  with  a  per- 
petual veil  of  night.  Its  cherishing  influence,  whilst 
it  infuses  the  fire  of  life  in  our  veins,  foments  also 
the  ground  which  supplies  our  mouths  with  bread. 
And  when  it  thus  produces  the  most  different,  the 
most  beautiful,  or  the  most  salutary  effects,  at  once 
or  by  succession,  frequently  or  more  rarely,  it  does 
not  at  each  time  develop  new  powers,  nor  is  it 
affected  by  new  impressions,  but  it  simply  exerts  the 

24 


370  SERMONS. 

same  innate  force  on  other  objects,  or  develops  it 
under  different  circumstances.  So  it  is,  also,  when 
it  presents  to  our  view  in  the  heaven  that  charm- 
ing and  at  the  same  time  magnificent  phenomenon 
which  we  denominate  the  rainbow,  and  which  we 
sometimes  behold  in  the  morning  in  the  west,  or 
more  frequently  in  the  east  when  the  day  declines 
towards  the  evening.  The  sun  pursues  his  apparent 
course,  and  diffuses  the  splendor  of  his  light  as  on 
other  days ;  the  firmament  of  heaven  undergoes  no 
change,  nor  acquires  any  accession  ;  but  both  sun- 
light and  sky  come  into  such  a  relation  to  each  other 
that  our  nerve  of  vision  cannot  be  affected  otherwise 
than  this.  When,  for  instance,  at  the  opening  or 
close  of  day,  the  sun,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
heavens,  shines  on  a  thin  rain-cloud,  his  rays  are 
thus  refracted  by  the  drops,  reflected,  and  again  re- 
fracted, so  that  they,  returning  to  our  eye,  exhibit  all 
the  colors  of  the  light  beside  each  other  in  a  many- 
colored  band,  —  a  band  which  appears  in  a  circular 
form,  corresponding  to  the  manner  in  which  the 
rays  are  diffused  from  the  body  of  the  sun,  whilst 
we  can  see  only  an  arc  of  that  circle,  whose  other 
part  is  hidden  beneath  the  horizon.  I  denominated 
this  phenomenon  charming,  and  at  the  same  time 
magnificent ;  for,  though  all  the  colors  with  which 
the  light  attires  itself,  even  the  most  brilliant  of 
them,  are  here  collected  as  into  a  bundle,  nothing 
however  dazzles  or  injures  the  eye ;  by  gentle 
transitions  they  seem  to  melt  away  into  each  other, 
and  the  one  to  temper  the  glow  of  the  other.  The 
resplendent  aerial  form  rises  majestically  as  from  the 


SERMONS.  371 

earth  towards  heaven,  and  again  bends  down  benig- 
nantly  towards  it.  Who  ever  saw  it  in  its  full 
splendor  and  was  able  to  turn  away  his  eye  from 
the  sight,  and  continued  not  to  gaze  at  it  with 
rapture,  fastened  by  a  secret  attraction,  now  trans- 
ported by  delightful  sensations,  then  elevated  in 
sublime  sentiments  ?  When  the  last  of  the  biblical 
prophets,  but  in  divine  transport  of  spirit  to  be  placed 
on  an  equality  with  the  first,  when  the  hoary  John 
in  his  Revelation,  on  the  track  of  Ezekiel  his  pred- 
ecessor, would  give  us  some  idea  of  the  splendor 
of  the  uncreated  throne,  he  savs :  A  rainbow  was 
round  about  the  throne.  And  we  also,  when 
we  would  represent  to  ourselves  the  majesty  and 
glory  of  the  supreme  monarch  of  the  whole  earth, 
as  they  are  manifested  in  bestowing  good  and 
imparting  happiness,  and  as  they  with  the  pro- 
foundest  reverence  inspire  at  the  same  time  the 
tenderest  love,  then  we  say  with  Ezekiel :  A  rain- 
botv  is  the  glory  round  about  his  head;  or  with 
John  :  A  rainbow  is  round  about  his  throne. 

But  if  ever  this  magnificent  phenomenon  appeared 
lovely  and  heart-reviving,  it  was  when  it  was 
appointed  by  God  for  a  sign  of  his  covenant  with 
Noah.  For  more  than  a  year  had  the  only  family 
that  was  left  of  mankind  been  shut  up  in  its  floating 
habitation  ;  first  drifting  and  tossed  on  the  billows, 
in  which  everything  had  perished,  and  after  that, 
waiting  weeks  long  for  the  permission  :  Go  out 
of  the  ark,  with  all  that  is  therein.  Thankfully 
they  execute  that  order,  and  give  again  to  their  im- 
prisoned foster-children  the  long -desired  freedom. 


372  SERMONS. 

There  they  stand  and  look  around  as  strangers  on  the 
solitary  earth.  Joy  on  account  of  their  deliverance 
is  blended  with  that  anxiety  of  mind  which  the 
strangeness  of  their  condition  and  the  recollection 
of  what  had  taken  place  must  naturally  awaken  in 
them.  First  of  all,  however,  thanks  had  been 
rendered  to  God  for  their  preservation,  and  to  him, 
who  had  punished  and  spared,  their  lot  had  been 
further  commended.  Thus  the  day  passed,  and 
meanwhile  the  altar  rises  under  their  hands,  the 
sacrifice  burns,  and  prayer  ascends  with  the  smoke 
of  the  altar  to  heaven.  Jehovah  complacently 
accepted  that  homage,  and  descended  to  comfort  his 
children,  to  bless  them,  and  set  them  at  rest  respect- 
ing their  future  lot.  "  Be  fruitful,"  said  he,  "  and 
multiply,  and  replenish  the  now  depopulated  earth. 
I  will  no  more  destroy  all  flesh  by  the  waters  of  a 
flood.  I  will  no  more  curse  the  whole  earth  for 
man's  sake.  Though  the  imagination  of  their 
hearts  continues  evil,  I  will  spare  and  be  forbearing. 
Henceforth  seed-time  and  harvest,  and  summer  and 
winter,  and  day  and  night,  shall  not  cease  !  "  And 
whilst  the  Most  High  spake  thus,  the  sun  in  the  west 
had  broken  through  the  clouds,  and  shot  his  pleasant 
evening  rays  on  this  affecting  scene,  and  drew  the 
magnificent  rainbow  on  the  clouded  eastern  sky. 
"  Behold,"  thus  spake  the  Heavenly  Father, 
"  behold  my  bow  in  the  clouds  !  I  appoint  it  for  a 
sign  of  the  covenant  that  I  make  with  the  earth. 
When  I  bring  clouds  over  the  earth,  and  this  bow 
is  seen  in  the  clouds,  then  will  I  remember  my 
covenant  with  you,  and  with  every  living  creature, 


SERMONS.  373 

and  the  waters  shall  no  more  become  a  flood  to 
destroy  all  flesh."  Solicitude  must  naturally  lodge 
in  the  heart  of  the  rescued  ;  what  has  now  happened 
can  easily  happen  again ;  and  with  every  storm,  or 
flood,  or  shower,  they  might  fear  a  new  overthrow 
of  nature.  But  God  assures  them  :  I  will  no  more 
destroy  all  flesh  by  water  ;  be  at  rest,  not  only  with 
regard  to  yourselves,  but  also  with  regard  to  the 
posterity  that  shall  descend  from  you ;  it  shall  not 
perish  so  miserably  as  the  first  world.  This  word 
of  the  True  One  was  alone  sufficient  to  relieve  his 
privileged  creatures  of  all  anxiety;  but  he  joins  to 
it  a  sign  for  confirmation,  not  for  them  alone,  but 
also  for  their  descendants,  through  all  successive 
ages.  When  they  beheld  that  sign,  then  it  would  be 
as  if  God  each  time  said  to  them  anew :  I  will  be 
gracious,  and  not  punish  according  to  desert.  I 
will  be  forbearing,  and  preserve  you  in  the  dangers 
that  threaten  you,  that  you  may  honor  and  love  me. 
I  am  the  Unchangeable  One,  and  what  I  have  once 
promised  I  make  good  forever  ;  there  is  the  witness 
of  my  faithfulness  in  the  clouds !  Yes,  that  token 
was  the  rainbow  ;  and  can  you  devise  another  more 
worthy  the  choice  of  the  All-wise,  All-glorious,  and 
All-merciful  One?  It  would  not,  it  is  true,  daily 
present  itself  to  the  eye  of  Noah's  family,  nor  to 
ours.  But  seldom  should  this  magnificently  arched 
blending  of  light  and  color  be  witnessed.  But  also, 
that  which  is  of  daily  occurrence  ceases  finally  to 
affect  us,  and  the  rare  phenomenon  is  therefore 
more  adapted  to  impress  our  imagination  and 
through  it  our  heart.     And  as  often  now,  after  tem- 


374  SERMONS. 

pest  or  showers  of  rain,  when  the  air  is  again  broken 
and  passage  afforded  to  the  rays  of  the  sun,  whilst 
only  a  single  thin  rain-cloud  still  covers  the  horizon, 
as  often  then  as  that  bow  of  the  covenant  adorns 
the  aerial  canopy,  is  it  not  then  to  us  as  if  we  saw 
in  its  form  and  in  its  colors  the  soft  reflection  of  the 
face  of  a  reconciled  Deity  ?  And  could  God,  if  we 
be  permitted  to  speak  thus,  from  all  the  riches  of  his 
creation,  appoint  a  more  sublime  and  affecting  token 
to  proclaim  to  us  as  from  heaven  in  sacred  hiero- 
glyphics :  I  am  forbearing  and  gracious  !  I  am  true 
and  faithful !  That  forbearance  and  grace  Noah  and 
his  children  experienced  from  the  moment  that  they 
cultivated  and  peopled  the  new  earth  ;  the  experi- 
ence of  that  truth  and  faithfulness  was  above  all 
reserved  for  later  ages,  and  even  for  us.  More  than 
four  thousand  years  have  already  elapsed  since  God 
spake  this  word,  and  had  it  registered  in  the  records 
of  his  heavenly  revelation,  but  it  has  not  yet  failed ! 
Our  globe  has  been  exposed  to  the  same  devastat- 
ing powers  of  nature  which  once  overwhelmed  its 
inhabited  ground  with  the  waters,  but  that  overthrow 
has  not  again  occurred.  The  race  sprung  from 
Noah's  children  still  exists  and  is  spread  over  all  the 
earth  ;  still  seed-time  and  harvest,  and  cold  and 
heat,  and  summer  and  winter,  and  day  and  night, 
have  not  ceased,  and  shall  not  cease,  while  the  earth 
remaineth  ! 

II.  From  what  has  thus  far  been  said,  you  have, 
my  hearers,  been  able  sufficiently  to  perceive  how 
greatly  the  contemplation  of  the  rainbow  is  adapted 
to  conduct  us  to  devout  meditations,  and  it  is  this 


SERMONS.  3T5 

to  which  we  have  devoted  the  second  part  of  our 
discourse.       First,  It  is  a  beautiful   and  delightful 
thought  that   God   cares   for   mankind,   and    takes 
interest   in  their  lot,  in  the   lot  of  each  of  us.     I 
know  there  are   men   who   think   that   they  do  not 
need  this  thought  for  their  tranquillity  in   danger, 
and  for  their  comfort  in  calamity,  and  who  deem 
the  guardian  powers  of  nature,  as  they  style  it,  left 
to  itself,  sufficient  to  secure  us ;  so  far,  for  instance, 
as  we  can  be  secured,  and  are  not  obliged  to  submit 
to  the  destiny  that  rules  over  us.     But  to  them  who 
shudder  at  such  a  tranquillity ;  to  me,  to  you  all, 
as  I  hope,  for   whom  that  nature  left  to  its  own 
preserving  forces  would  be  no  protecting  power,  if 
it  be   anything  more  than  simply  a  nonentity,  an 
empty  sound,  a  contradiction  of  sound  reason  ;  to 
us  whom,  when  we  survey  the  circle  of  our  dear 
relations,  care  for  the  life  and  happiness  of  ours, 
if  they  were   not   under  higher,  wise   and  loving 
superintendence,  if   only  blind   powers    of   nature 
must   watch  over  them,  would    cause   to   find   no 
rest  by  day,  and  by  night  no  sleep  on  our  couch  ; 
to  us,  who  feel  a  better  disposition  in  us  than  to  be 
allied  simply  to  the  dust  and  the  world  of  sense,  and 
whose  hearts  beat  high  enough  to  recognize  in  an 
eternal,  independent  cause  of  our  existence  a  Father 
in  the  heavens,  and  to  feel  ourselves  the  happier  in 
proportion  as  we   stand  in   closer  relation  to  that 
holy  and   glorious   One ;  to   us  is    each  assurance 
precious,  that  He  who  dwells  in  heaven  keeps  his 
eye  fixed  on  us ;  that  it  is  not  too  mean  a  thing  for 
him  to  lay  our  interests  to  heart ;  that  without  his 


376  SERMONS. 

will  nothing  can  harm  us  or  ours  ;  that  the  forces 
of  nature,  which  in  so  great  multitude  seem  armed 
against  us,  and  on  all  sides  threaten  us,  are  in  his 
hand   and   are  directed   by  him ;    so   that  we  can 
serenely  look  beyond  all  that  might  inspire  us  with 
care,  anxiety,  or  dread,  as  if  it  were  not,  to  keep  our 
eye  simply  fixed  on  him  in  whose  hand  alone  our 
breath  is,  with  whom  are  all  our  ways,  and  who  has 
said:  Iivill  not  fail  thee,  and  I  will  not  forsake  thee. 
Yes,  precious  to  us  is   each  confirmation  of   that 
belief!     And  when  we  now  behold  the  rainbow,  let 
us  place  ourselves  in  the  epoch  when  God  explained 
himself  so  benignantly  and  paternally,  and  declared 
.that  he  would  interest  himself  in  the  fate  of  man- 
kind.   They  could  tranquilly  people  the  earth,  their 
race  should  be   safe  under  the  protection  of  God  ; 
they  could  calmly  cultivate  the  earth,  it  should  no 
more  be  thus  laid  waste  ;  do  we  not,  then,  each  time 
receive    anew  this  precious    assurance?     For    that 
promise   of  God  concerned  not  Noah  and  his  chil- 
dren  alone,  but  also  and  much  more  the  genera- 
tions following ;  that  covenant  was  made  with  the 
earth  and  with  mankind.     And  that  God  who  prom- 
ised that  he  would  henceforth  restrain  the  floods, 
did  he  not  thereby  at  the  same  time  testify  that  he 
was  also  in  all  other  peril  of  his  children  mindful  of 
them,  and  that  nothing  could  befall  them  save  with 
his  permission  and  by  his  appointment  ?     Does  it, 
then,  sometimes  happen  to  us,  my  beloved,  that  the 
contemplation  of  the  world's  inconstancy,  and  a  thou- 
sand uncertainties  distress  our  hearts  ;  or  the  melan- 
choly mind  indulges  anxious  thoughts  about  what 


SERMONS.  377 

can  happen  every  hour ;  let  us  then  remember  how 
often  we  have  beheld  in  the  clouds  the  faithful 
witness  of  God's  fatherly  disposition  and  loving 
remembrance  ;  let  us  then  joyously,  and  free  from 
anxious  care,  with  our  head  raised  towards  heaven, 
pursue  life's  perilous  journey,  and  cast  all  our  care 
on  Him  ivho  careth  for  us. 

Secondly.  It  is  not  equally  easy  for  every  one 
thus  comforted  and  encouraged  in  God,  to  advance 
intrepidly  against  the  army  of  dangers  and  calami- 
ties ;  not  even  when  sensible  signs  insure  the  faith- 
fulness of  God's  promises.  They  above  all  on  whose 
heart  the  holiness  of  the  Supreme  Being  and  the 
sacredness  of  their  obligations  press  heavily,  often 
find  their  confidence  thereby  made  to  waver,  and 
the  very  tenderness  of  their  conscience  hinders  them 
in  regarding  themselves  so  highly  favored  by  God. 
And  indeed,  my  hearers,  who  is  there  that  knows 
his  heart  and  what  passes  therein,  that  knows  his 
conduct  and  acts  and  what  is  lacking  in  them,  what 
in  them  cannot  endure  the  light ;  who  that  knows 
God  in  the  purity  of  his  perfections,  and  what  the 
righteousness  of  that  God  demands  of  him ;  who  is 
there  whom  this  consciousness  would  not  often  de- 
prive of  freedom  to  place  his  lot  in  the  hands  of 
a  being  ofttimes  so  little  regarded  by  him,  and 
never  served  as  he  should  be,  did  he  not  moreover 
know  that  God  as  merciful  and  gracious,  forbearing 
and  of  great  kindness,  who  deals  not  with  us  after 
our  sins,  and  rewards  us  not  according  to  our  iniqui- 
ties, who  knoweth  our  frame,  and  remembereth 
that  wre  are  dust  ?    And  now,  behold  what  the  bow 


378  SERMONS. 

of  the  covenant  in  the  clouds  announces  and  con- 
firms to  us.  Yes,  it  reminds  us  indeed  of  a  whole 
race  of  men  submerged  in  the  floods  by  the  awful 
ruler  of  the  world ;  but  it  was  because  of  unheard- 
of  abominations,  whose  propagation  and  cankerous 
infection  were  only  to  be  arrested  by  such  a  judg- 
ment. And  now  to  the  rescued  remnant,  without 
condition  and  without  limitation,  was  the  promise 
made :  I  will  no  more  curse  the  earth  ;  I  will  no 
more  destroy  mankind.  Yes,  it  was  as  if  He  who 
knew  his  creature  and  what  was  to  be  expected 
of  it,  would,  by  a  sacred  engagement,  henceforth 
deprive  himself  of  the  power  of  being  so  terrible 
in  his  judicial  inflictions  ;  for  he  said :  TJiough  the 
imagination  of  ynan's  heart  is  still  evil  from  his 
youth,  I  will  not  again  smite  any  more  everything 
living,  as  I  have  done.  Behold  what  a  God  we 
need,  in  order  that  the  weak  heart,  so  little  proof 
against  the  enticements  of  sin,  may  not,  when  it  is 
cast  down  by  the  apprehension  of  guilt,  be  wholly 
crushed,  nor  shut  against  reliance  on,  against  the 
consolatory  prospect  of  the  protecting  care  and  favor 
of,  the  universal  Benefactor.  Whoever,  then,  you 
may  be,  who  in  times  of  need  or  dismal  prospects 
feel  your  hope  in  God  abate,  through  the  conscious- 
ness of  numberless  departures  and  great  ingratitude  ; 
or  who,  bowed  down  under  chastisements  and 
calamities,  think  you  feel  only  the  chastising  hand 
of  a  Judge,  and  not  the  healing  hand  of  a  Father ; 
remember  how  often  you  have  looked  upon  the 
ivitness  in  the  clouds,  and  how  its  soft,  ravishing 
splendor  pictured  to  you  a  benignant  Deity,  disposed 


SERMONS.  379 

to  pardon,  and  ever  inclined  to  pity.  Before  his 
face  stood  the  progenitors  of  a  new  race,  that  would 
quickly  pollute  itself  with  new  transgressions,  and 
practise  all  those  iniquities  of  which  already  more 
than  forty  centuries  make  such  lamentable  mention  ; 
he  knew  it,  for  he  knew  the  evil  of  the  imagination 
of  the  human  heart ;  and  yet  he  said  :  When  this 
bow  shall  be  in  the  clouds,  then  will  I  look  upon  it, 
and  remember  the  everlasting  covenant  that  I  have 
made  with  all  flesh. 

But  think  not,  and  let  this  be  my  third  observa- 
tion, that  the  covenant  made  with  Noah,  of  which 
the  rainbow  was  the  established  token,  and  whose 
compass  embraced  the  whole  earthly  creation, — that 
this  covenant  comprised  merely  external,  and  not 
also  spiritual  good  for  all  that  were  capable  of  more 
than  earthly  happiness  and  earthly  perfection.  No, 
so  contracted  are  not  the  utterances  of  divine  love ; 
and  when  he  promises  to  preserve  mankind  from 
destruction,  then  there  is  no  blessing  in  store  for 
them,  and  no  happiness  to  be  expected  from  it,  that 
is  not  also  included  in  God's  promise.  Of  that  man- 
kind, that  had  just  been  so  near  its  entire  destruc- 
tion, but  should  henceforth  be  spared,  He  should  in 
due  time  be  born  who  should  procure  reconciliation 
and  salvation  for  Adam's  and  for  Noah's  posterity ; 
and  because  he  should  proceed  from  it,  therefore 
could  and  must  that  mankind  not  again  be  destroyed. 
Or  do  you  think,  my  hearers,  that  this  ample  extent 
of  the  divine  promise  is  not  there  to  be  acknowl- 
edged, where  Noah's  eye  is  fixed  on  the  bow  of 
God  in  the  clouds,  acknowledge  it  at  least  with  the 


380  SERMONS. 

poet  of  later  ages,  when  he,  speaking  of  David's 
throne  and  David's  house,  ascribes  to  it  an  everlast- 
ing duration,  as  truly  as  there  is  a  faithful  witness 
in  the  sky.  It  is  that  promise  of  David's  eternal 
dominion,  fulfilled  in  the  son  of  Mary,  the  Messiah 
and  King  glorified  through  suffering,  in  which  is 
included  more  than  security  against  earthly  calami- 
ties and  comfort  in  earthly  losses,  even  deliverance 
from  all  misery  and  the  highest  blessedness.  Oh,  if 
the  bow  of  the  covenant,  after  the  terrible  flood, 
was  appointed  by  God  for  a  token  that  he  was 
again  reconciled  to  the  earth,  and  would  not  again 
drown  it  in  the  waters,  when  God  established  his 
covenant  with  David,  and  thereby  appealed  to  the 
faithful  witness  in  the  clouds,  then  that  same  bow 
became  the  token,  the  lovely,  radiant  image  of  a  much 
better,  of  an  eternal  reconciliation  ;  of  a  much  better, 
of  an  eternal  preservation  of  the  otherwise  lost  man- 
kind !  When  we,  then,  henceforth  behold  that  bow 
in  the  clouds,  then  it  will  not  only  serve  as  the 
pledge  to  us  that  we  with  all  that  is  ours,  are  safe 
in  the  hand  of  a  God  whose  forbearance  is  greater 
than  all  our  perversity,  but  i^  will  above  all  serve 
as  the  pledge  to  us  that  we  are  called  to  the  citizen- 
ship of  the  eternal  divine  kingdom  of  David's  son 
and  David's  Lord,  in  order  now,  under  his  friendly 
pastoral  staff,  to  be  led  through  this  inconstant  life, 
and  afterwards,  under  his  glorious  sceptre,  to  live  and 
reign  with  him  through  eternity.  Yes,  now  shall 
we  first  in  the  rainbow  see  the  reflection  of  the  face 
of  a  reconciled  Deity,  and  the  colors  of  that  bow  of 
light  will  represent  to  us  forgiveness,  grace,  mercy, 


SERMONS.  381 

love,  and  peace.  It  will  remind  us  of  the  flood,  as 
if  all  our  sins  had  therein  been  buried  and  sunk,  and 
whose  antitype,  baptism,  doth  also  now  save  us,  not 
the  putting  away  of  the  filth  of  the  flesh,  but  the 
answer  of  a  good  conscience  toward  God,  by  the 
resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  will  proclaim  to 
us  God's  unchangeable  faithfulness,  who  will  as 
certainly  spare  us  for  a  blessed  future,  as  he  has 
now  so  many  thousand  years  spared  the  race  of 
man  on  earth.  And  though  that  terrible  angel 
should  also  appear  to  us  who  was  revealed  to  John 
on  Patmos,  whose  right  foot  was  on  the  sea,  and  his 
left  foot  on  the  earth,  and  who  sware  by  him  that 
liveth  for  ever  and  ever,  that  there  should  be  time 
no  longer,  we  should  not  fear,  for  a  rainbow  was 
upon  his  head!  Oh,  that  this  blessedness  were 
desirable  to  us  all,  that  there  were  only  in  none 
of  us  an  incorrigible  and  impenitent  heart !  God 
of  Noah  !  God  of  David  !  God  and  Father  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ !  who  hast  established  thy 
faithfulness  in  the  heavens,  and  makest  thy  prom- 
ises in  Christ  yea  and  amen  !  fulfil  them  also  to 
us  all  who  are  here  assembled  before  thy  face  !  Oh 
that  the  sacrifice  which  we  have  in  this  hour 
kindled  to  thee,  the  God  of  nature  and  of  grace, 
were  acceptable  to  thee,  as  was  formerly  that  of  the 
eight  rescued  souls !  Establish  also  with  us  thine 
everlasting  covenant,  and  say  to  our  souls,  You  will 
I  not  destroy,  but  save  !     Amen. 


382  SERMONS. 


SERMON  X. 

ACQUIESCENCE   IN   THE    WILL   AND 
GOVERNMENT  OF    GOD. 

Thou  hast  done  it.  —  Psax,m  xxxix.  9. 

It  is  natural  to  us,  as  rational  beings,  to  trace 
out  the  causes  of  things  ;  and  especially,  with  refer- 
ence to  what  befalls  us  in  our  earthly  course,  be  it 
blessing  or  misfortune,  happiness  or  misery,  to  in- 
quire to  what  we  must  ascribe  the  good,  to  what 
impute  the  evil.  Sometimes  we  think  we  find  that 
cause  in  ourselves ;  and  then  we  applaud  or  upbraid 
ourselves,  in  proportion  as  it  has  gone  according  to 
our  wish  or  contrary  to  it.  Sometimes  we  regard 
others  as  the  authors  of  our  happiness  or  unhap- 
piness,  and  they  become  the  objects  of  our  gratitude, 
or  of  our  displeasure  and  malice.  Sometimes  also 
it  goes  beyond  and  above  all  our  calculation,  and 
we  gaze  till  we  are  blind,  and  dote  till  we  are  stupid, 
in  searching  whence  the  felicity  or  infelicity  that 
we  experience  has  come  to  us.  So  we  act,  and  act 
aoreeablv  to  our  nature,  when  we  regard  ourselves 
only  as  rational  beings ;  but  do  we  place  ourselves 
at  a  higher  stand-point,  do  we  regard  ourselves  as 
instructed  by  a  divine  revelation,  then  must,  then 
may  we  not  stop  at  these  nearest  causes ;  but  it  be- 
comes us  to  ascend  to  the  first  of  them  all,  and  to 


SERMONS.  383 

terminate  in  God,  from  whose  hand  alone  comes  the 
evil  and  the  good  !  That  becomes  us  not  only,  but 
it  is  salutary  for  us,  and  a  blessed  privilege  to  be 
permitted  to  do  it ;  for  thereby  we  learn  to  make 
the  blessing  tend  to  our  true  good,  and  in  affliction 
and  suffering  it  gives  us  the  best  consolation,  the 
only  true  rest  for  the  dejected  heart. 

It  was  to  me  a  necessity,  in  the  circumstances 
which  have  affected  me  and  mine  in  these  days,1  to 
speak  to  you  on  this  subject,  and  to  reflect  with  you 
on  the  grounds  of  resignation,  of  courage  and  hope, 
especially  under  the  adversities  of  life,  that  are 
couched  in  the  thought,  God  has  done  it.  Heartily 
do  I  wish  that  there  may  be  few  among  my  hearers 
to  whom  this  address  shall  be  now  more  appro- 
priate than  at  any  other  time  ;  but  never,  and  to 
none,  can  it  be  inappropriate.  The  bitter  cup  of 
divine  trial  passes  round  to  all ;  if  we  are  not  obliged 
to  drink  it  now,  we  have  drunk  it,  or  it  will  in  due 
time  come  to  us.  Let  us  pray  God  so  to  bless  our 
meditation,  that  it  may  be,  on  leaving  this  house  of 
prayer,  the  language  of  every  heart :  What  God  has 
done,  or  does,  is  well  done. 

PRAYER. 

Most  powerful,  All-wise,  and  Merciful  Supreme 
Ruler,  who  dost  govern  the  extensive  universe,  and 
embrace  in  thy  care  all  created  things  !  We  know, 
and  we  thank  thee  that  we  are  assured  of  it  by  thine 
own  revelation,  that  thou  hast  especially  cast  an  eye 

1  The  decease  of  my  worthy  son-in-law,  D.  van  Foreest,  April  17th, 
1833. 


384  SERMONS. 

of  love  and  pity  on  the  race  of  men  ;  that  thou  wilt 
be  to  them  a  guide  on  the  whole  journey  of  their  life, 
and  regulate  all  their  adventures  according  to  thy 
plan,  the  design  of  which  is  their  perfection  and  their 
felicity.  By  this  thy  gracious  appointment  we  belong 
to  the  privileged  whom  thou  hast  illumined  with  the 
light  of  thy  knowledge,  and  are  permitted  now  to 
find  ourselves  in  this  place,  where  we  collectively 
worship  thee,  bring  to  thee  the  tribute  of  our  pray- 
ers and  thanksgiving,  and  can  commend  to  thee  all 
our  interests  for  time  and  eternity.  Look  down  com- 
placently upon  us  ;  be  present  with  thy  Spirit  in  our 
midst ;  and  attune  our  hearts  to  that  true  and  hum- 
ble disposition  towards  thee  which  teaches  us  to 
know  and  observe  thee  in  all  thy  ways,  and  gives 
thee  the  honor  of  all  that  thou  doest  for  or  to  us. 
Yes,  Lord,  with  thee  is  not  only  our  breath,  but 
with  thee  are  also  all  our  ways.  Whether  thou 
causest  thy  lamp  to  shine  on  our  path,  and  dost  glad- 
den us  with  days  wherein  thou  makest  us  see  good, 
or  all  is  dark  around  us,  and  anguish  and  fear  op- 
press us,  and  tears  flow  from  our  eyes,  it  is  all  of 
thee  !  Whatever  may  in  the  course  of  things  coop- 
erate thereto,  to  whatever  second  causes  we  ascribe 
it,  it  all  happens  with  thy  permission,  under  thy 
direction,  according  to  thy  will !  And  we,  Lord, 
should  we  receive  good  from  thy  hand,  and  not  evil? 
we,  who  have  nothing  to  demand  of  thee,  who  have 
so  often  abused  thy  gifts,  requited  them  with  ingrat- 
itude, and  not  given  thee  the  honor  that  was  due  to 
thee,  the  Benefactor !  we,  who  know  not  what  is 
truly  good  or  evil  for  us,  all  the  days  of  this  troublous 


SERMONS.  385 

life,  and  ought  to  rejoice  that  there  is  a  better  and 
wiser  power  who  appoints  all  our  changes.  Oh  that 
none  may  be  found  among  us  who  do  not  acknowl- 
edge this,  who  are  not  penetrated  with  the  liveliest 
sense  of  it !  May  we  all  learn  to  bow  to  thy  high 
and  holy,  to  thy  wise  and  good  will ;  even  then, 
when  thy  ways  are  not  as  our  ways,  and  we  go 
bowed  down  under  the  suffering  that  presses  upon 
us  !  May  we  leam  to  observe  carefully  thy  goings 
and  dealings  with  us,  to  trace  thy  designs  in  them 
by  the  light  of  thy  Word  and  thy  Spirit,  and  to  de- 
rive instructions  from  them  for  an  humble  and  con- 
scientious walk  with  thee.  Thereto  help  us  with  thy 
grace  in  Christ  Jesus,  through  and  in  whom  alone 
thou  canst  and  wilt  be  to  us  such  a  loving  Father 
and  guide  on  our  journey,  graciously  forgiving  us 
our  perversities  and  deviations,  and  by  sorrow  and 
joy,  by  blessings  and  chastisements,  training  us  up 
for  a  better  life,  for  a  life  without  care  and  without 
sin.  That  grace  sanctify  our  attention  in  our  pres- 
ent religious  convention  ;  may  it  strengthen  the  min- 
ister of  the  word ;  may  it  enable  him  to  speak  to  us 
a  hearty  word  of  excitation,  instruction,  and  con- 
solation, and  form  us  all  to  obedient  subjects  of  the 
kingdom  of  thy  Son,  with  whose  words  we  say  to 
thee  :  Our  Father,  etc. 

T/iou  hast  done  it  !  That  it  is  God  of  whom 
the  composer  of  this  psalm  here  speaks  in  the  sec- 
ond person,  hardly  needs  be  remarked  ;  and  that 
he,  by  that  ivhich  God  had  done,  understands  the 
circumstances  in  which  he  is  now  placed,  and  which 

25 


386  SERMONS. 

he  hereby  contemplates,  as  having  come  upon  him 
from  God,  is  at  once  evident  from  the  whole  con- 
tents and  tendency  of  the  poem.  Those  circum- 
stances were  the  saddest  that  had  yet  happened  to 
David  during  his  calamitous  life.  It  is  highly  prob- 
able, indeed,  that  this  psalm  belongs  to  the  period 
of  his  flight  from  Absalom.  It  is  the  unhappy  fa- 
ther, driven  from  his  royal  seat,  and  his  life  sought 
by  a  degenerate  son,  that  speaks  in  it.  That  an- 
guish was  wellnigh  intolerable,  his  heart  foamed  in 
him,  it  burned  and  glowed  within  him  ;  he  feared, 
should  he  burst  out  in  loud  complaints,  that  his 
tongue  would  cause  him  to  sin,  therefore  he  kept  his 
mouth  with  a  bridle,  though  he  must  thereby  be 
also  silent  as  to  the  good  that  he  still  experienced  in 
the  midst  of  his  lamentable  condition,  or  that  glim- 
mered before  him  in  the  future.  Finally,  however, 
he  could  give  vent  to  his  feelings,  and  unchain  his 
tongue,  without  fear  of  offending  against  God  or 
men ;  it  was  when  he  thought  of  the  short  time 
that  he,  in  his  already  advanced  age,  had  still  to 
live.  But  what  did  he  say  of  himself?  That  his 
days  were  only  a  handbreadth,  and  his  life  was  as 
nothing.  Verily,  so  he  proceeds,  in  the  conclusion 
of  the  fifth  and  sixth  verses,  and  how  do  we  daily 
experience,  often  with  bitter  grief  of  soul,  the  truth 
of  his  saying !  verily  every  man  at  his  best  state 
is  altogether  vanity  /  Surely  every  man  walketh  in 
a  vain  show :  surely  they  are  disquieted  in  vain : 
he  heapeth  up  riches,  and  hnoweih  not  who  shall 
gather  them  ! 

In  this  thought  the  poet  seems  to  find  some  relief. 


SERMONS.  387 

In  the  dismal  condition  in  which  he  found  himself, 
not  knowing  what  he  must  hope  or  fear,  he  can 
again  commend  the  issue  to  God  :  And  now,  Lord, 
says  he,  what  is  my  expectation  ?  All  my  hope  is  in 
thee.  Two  things,  however,  he  durst  with  confidence 
desire  of  God  :  forgiveness  of  the  aggravated  guilt 
by  which  he  knew  he  had  brought  this  calamity  on 
himself,  and  not  to  be  made  the  reproach  of  a 
foolish  and  ungrateful  people.  Then  thus  he  pro- 
ceeds in  my  text:  I  am  silenced,  and  open  not  my 
mouth,  for  thou  hast  done  it  /  This  was  a  different 
silence  from  that  of  which  the  sufferer  made  men- 
tion in  the  beginning  of  his  song :  then  it  foamed 
and  glowed  within  him,  and  he  feared  to  give  vent, 
by  speaking,  to  his  surcharged  grief;  here  it  is  the 
silence  of  patience,  of  resignation  and  submission, 
produced  by  the  conviction  that  the  calamity,  under 
which  he  went  bowed  down,  had  come  upon  him 
by  God's  appointment ;  that  it  was  God's  will  thus 
sorely  to  afflict  him,  which  he  expresses  with  the 
words  :  for  thou  hast  done  it  / 

Not  only  the  good  that  meets  us,  but  also  the 
evil  that  assails  us,  is  sent  us  by  the  hand  of  God  ; 
the  one,  as  well  as  the  other,  is  an  effect  of  the  di- 
rection of  Divine  Providence  respecting  us  and  our 
lot  in  the  world.  This,  then,  is  the  truth  which  we 
can  derive  from  the  words  of  the  text. 

I.  I  shall  first  endeavor  to  unfold  it  to  you  in  its 
nature  and  extent ; 

II.  I  shall  then  exhibit  it  to  you  under  its  con- 
solatory aspect ;  and 

III.  Finally,  in  its  salutary  influence  on  our  dis- 


388  SERMONS. 

position  and  our  walk,  especially  in  times  of  affliction 
and  trial. 

I.  I  must  then,  in  the  first  place,  endeavor  to  un- 
fold to  you,  in  its  nature  and  extent,  the  truth  con- 
tained in  the  words  :  G-od  hath  done  it !  Prove  it 
I  shall  not,  for  I  speak  to  hearers  who  hold  the 
Bible  to  be  a  divine  revelation  ;  and  wherever  it  is 
opened,  everywhere  we  find  the  doctrine  of  a  par- 
ticular Providence,  from  which  even  the  most  in- 
significant accident  is  not  excluded,  here  established 
by  positive  declarations,  and  there  confirmed  by 
striking  examples  ;  so  that  he  who  would  deny  this 
truth,  or  even  call  it  in  question,  can  freely  lay 
this  book  aside,  or  pronounce  its  contents  chitchat 
and  absurdity.  But  though  it  is  needless  to  demon- 
strate this  truth,  it  is,  however,  not  useless  to  confine 
our  attention  to  it,  and  deliberately  consider  it  in 
its  nature,  that  is,  in  its  whole  relation  to  us.  For 
it  is  not  always  equally  evident  to  our  mind  ;  and 
with  our  general  acknowledgment  of  it,  we  forget 
but  too  often  to  make  the  application  of  it  to  our- 
selves. 

When  all  goes  according  to  our  wishes,  and  there 
are  no  bands  that  vex  us  ;  when  only  slight  vexations 
now  and  then  cloud  the  sun  of  our  prosperity,  and 
many  a  joy,  even  such  as  we  had  not  dared  desire, 
surprises  us  ;  or  when  our  days  roll  quietly  and 
pleasurably  on,  in  the  undisturbed  possession  of  all 
that  is  dear  and  precious  to  us  in  the  world ;  if  our 
heart  be  then  in  the  least  degree  rightly  disposed, 
how  gladly  do  we  give  God  the  honor  of  it ;  we 
see  his  finger  in  all  that  happens  to  us  ;  in  all  that 


SERMONS.  389 

concurs  to  our  happiness  we  see  means  and  instru- 
ments in  his  hands,  and  we  so  gladly  say  with  the 
poet :  Bless  the  Lord,  0  my  soul,  and  forget  not 
all  his  benefits  J  0  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord;  for 
he  is  good :  for  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever  I  But 
when  all  is  reversed ;  when  domestic  grief  gnaws 
at  our  life ;  when  we  are  overladen  with  cares  and 
anxieties,  under  whose  weight  we  fear  we  shall  suc- 
cumb ;  when  we  are  thwarted  in  our  enterprises, 
disappointed  in  our  desires ;  ah  !  when  our  heart  is 
assailed  at  the  most  tender  point,  wounded  and 
crushed,  at  the  loss  of  that  which  is  dearer  to  us 
than  our  own  life,  —  then  we  are  not  so  ready  to 
represent  to  ourselves  our  lot  as  an  effect  of  God's 
wise  and  beneficent  sovereignty.  Though  this 
thought  is  not  strange  to  us,  and  though  we  know 
that  we  cannot  deny  it  without  contradicting  our 
own  intelligent  conviction,  it  stands  with  us  as  on 
the  background,  and  is  wellnigh  swallowed  up  by 
the  feeling  of  our  grief,  or  by  comparison  of  our  lot 
with  that  of  others,  or  by  dismal  prospects  in  the 
future  ;  we  are  absorbed  in  reflection  on  our  lawful 
cause  of  mourning,  and  on  that  which  has  given 
occasion  to  it ;  and  it  is  not  with  us,  what  however 
it  ought  to  be,  the  uppermost  and  prevalent  idea, 
God  has  done  it! 

In  proportion  as  the  second  or  proximate  causes, 
to  which  we  think  we  must  ascribe  our  grief,  are 
known  to  us  with  more  distinctness  and  certainty, 
in  that  proportion  do  we  wander  more  in  reflecting 
on  it ;  and  the  consideration  of  our  condition,  as  an 
appointment  of  Divine  Providence  respecting  us, 


390  SERMONS. 

frequently  gives  place  to  the  fruitless  complaint: 
had  we  only  been  able  to  foresee  this  or  that  cir- 
cumstance, could  we  only  have  averted  this  or  that 
evil  in  time,  we  should  not  now  be  involved  in  the 
calamity.  Who  is  there,  my  hearers,  that  dares 
haughtily  condemn  in  the  suffering  this  reasoning 
of  human  weakness,  or  call  it  inexcusable  ?  But  it 
remains  on  that  account  not  the  less  a  reasoning  of 
weak  human  faith.  If  it  is  true  that  everything 
happens  according  to  God's  will  and  appointment 
respecting  us,  and  that  truth  must  be  with  us  raised 
above  all  question,  then  those  circumstances  must 
not  be  foreseen,  that  evil  not  feared  or  averted ;  and 
what  has  happened  to  us  was  an  indispensable  link 
in  the  chain  of  events  which  God's  eternal,  univer- 
sal government  had  according  to  his  wisdom  ap- 
pointed us.  Who  can  assign  the  limits  of  this  all- 
comprehending  government  ?  Even  the  free 
actions  of  men  are  subject  to  it ;  and  not  only  their 
good,  but  also  their  evil  acts,  yea,  the  most  criminal 
and  punishable  of  them,  are  subservient  to  the  at- 
tainment of  God's  secret  designs.  I  might  here 
recall  to  your  memory  the  history  of  Joseph  and 
his  brethren ;  but  why  need  I  go  further  than  to 
the  circumstances  in  which  David  found  himself 
when  he  composed  this  psalm  ?  To  what  had  he 
to  impute  the  adversity  that  now  so  unrelentingly 
pursued  him  ?  Dethroned,  driven  from  his  imperial 
seat,  wandering  as  an  exile  in  desert  tracts,  where 
the  gloomy  beating  of  Hermon's  waterfalls  seemed 
to  call  to  him  :  All  thy  waves  and  thy  billows  are 
gone  over  me !  whilst  even  his  friends  asked  him : 


SERMONS.  391 

» 

Where  is  now  thy  Cfod  ?  Who  caused  him  all  this  ? 
Surely  men,  evil  men  !  An  impious  son,  forgetful 
of  honor  and  duty,  thirsting  for  the  blood  of  his  own 
father;  an  ungrateful,  fickle,  and  faithless  people; 
treacherous  friends  and  confederates  ;  a  despicable 
company  of  insurgents  and  rebels,  —  these  were  the 
authors  of  David's  misfortune.  And  though  he 
knew  this,  and  felt  all  the  afflictiveness  of  it,  yet 
we  hear  him  say  to  God  :  Thou  hast  done  it !  Still 
more  strongly  did  he  express  this  same  sentiment, 
when  he  went  weeping  by  the  way,  and  Shimei 
calumniated  and  cursed  him,  then  he  said  :  If  God 
has  said  to  him,  Curse  David,  that  is,  if  it  wTas  God's 
will  to  abase  me  so  deeply  by  means  of  this  mis- 
creant, who  shall  then  say :  Why  hast  thou  done  this  ? 
No !  God  commands  not  the  evil,  though  he  with- 
holds not  the  hand  that  commits  it ;  he  imposes  not 
bonds  on  the  liberty  of  the.  rational  creature  ;  but 
the  evil  perpetrated  is  not  the  less  on  that  account 
under  his  direction.  It  effects  no  mischief,  save 
when  God  wills  that  it  shall  cause  vexation  and 
pain  ;  all  its  consequences  he  so  directs  and  regu- 
lates that  his  wise  and  good  designs  are  ultimately 
accomplished  by  it.  And  if  the  harm  done  us  by 
men  is  then  only  harm  when  God  is  pleased  by 
means  of  it  to  afflict  and  try  us,  how  much  more 
when  the  calamity,  without  intervention  of  malev- 
olence or  covetousness  or  emulation,  comes  upon 
us  as  it  were  directly  from  heaven  ;  when  God,  the 
supreme  ruler  of  nature,  arms  its  forces  against 
us  to  inflict  upon  us  loss  or  ruin  ;  when  he,  the 
Lord  of  life  and  death,  snatches  from  us  the  pledges 


392  SERMONS. 

of  our  love,  and  casts  us  into  deep  sorrow,  so  that 
we  can  adopt  the  language  of  the  deserted  Naomi : 
It  is  the  Lord  that  testifieth  against  me,  and  the  Al- 
mighty hath  dealt  very  bitterly  iviih  me  !  Though 
we  do  not  comprehend  God's  method  of  dealing, 
nor  how  it  is  to  be  harmonized  with  love  to  his 
feeble  creatures,  and  though  we  ask  in  the  anguish 
of  our  soul,  Wherefore,  wherefore,  I  pray  thee,  O 
Lord  ?  in  the  midst  of  those  dark  and  to  us  inex- 
plicable enigmas,  no  doubt,  however,  as  to  the 
supreme  dominion  of  God  may  be  allowed  to  rise 
in  our  minds,  and  it  must  be  and  remain  the  lan- 
guage of  our  inmost  conviction,  God  hath  done  it ! 

II.  So,  my  hearers,  and  to  such  an  unlimited 
extent  must  we  believe,  that  not  only  the  good  that 
falls  to  our  lot,  but  also  the  evil  that  grieves  us, 
comes  upon  us  alone  by  the  will  of  God  ;  and  when 
we  truly  believe  this,  with  application  to  ourselves, 
then  I  denominate  this  truth  a  consolatory  truth. 

Comfort  supposes  suffering ;  and  comfort  under 
suffering  we  term  all  that  makes  us  bear  it  more 
easily,  without  aversion,  and  more  willingly.  But 
is  there  indeed  a  misfortune  so  grievous  that  we  do 
not  gladly  bear  it  when  love  and  gratitude  require 
us  to  do  so  ?  Does  a  mother  complain  on  account 
of  what  she  must  suffer,  what  she  must  dispense 
with,  what  she  must  sacrifice,  for  the  child  that  she 
cherishes  at  the  breast  ?  How  many  miracles  of 
courage  and  perseverance,  of  unwavering  fidelity  in 
the  midst  of  the  severest  trials,  are  recorded  in 
history  to  the  honor  of  friendship.  The  recipient 
of  favors,  the  man  rescued  from  danger,  is  ready  to 


SERMONS.  393 

> 
offer  his  property  and  life  for  his  benefactor ;  and, 

whatever  it  may  cost  him,  he  hesitates  not  to  make 
the  sacrifice.  Behold  that  wretched  man  tormented 
with  pain,  with  mutilated,  amputated  limbs ;  you 
do  not  hear  him  complain,  for  he  has  received  those 
wounds  for  his  country,  for  which  he  is  still  ready 
to  shed  all  his  blood.  Do  you  ask,  my  hearers,  to 
what  purpose  the  enumeration  of  all  this?  I  ask 
you  in  turn  :  If  it  is  God's  will  that  calls  you  to 
suffering,  who  is  he  to  please  whom  you  suffer  and 
weep  ?  Who  is  he,  who,  for  the  attainment  of  his 
designs,  has  laid  upon  you  that  sore  affliction,  those 
oppressive  cares,  that  heart-corroding  grief?  Is 
there  any  one  to  whom  you  are  more  indebted,  yea, 
rather  to  whom  you  are  indebted  for  all  ?  Is  there 
a  benefactor  who  has  greater  claim  on  your  un- 
bounded love  and  gratitude,  who  is  more  worthy  that 
you  should  cheerfully  bear  for  him  the  heaviest  and 
hardest  lot  ?  Should  God  speak  to  you  from  heaven 
and  say  :  From  your  tenderest  age  I  have  as  a  Father 
cared  for  you  ;  I  have  led  you  on  the  whole  of  life's 
journey  ;  in  thousands  of  perils  I  have  preserved 
you ;  when  you  fell  into  slumber  in  the  evening,  I 
kept  watch  by  your  couch ;  when  you  awoke  in  the 
morning,  I  surrounded  you  with  new  blessings ;  all 
that  you  possess  you  received  from  me  ;  weeks  and 
days,  months  and  years,  you  have  felt  yourself  hap- 
py ;  who  was  the  cause  of  all  your  intellectual  and 
sensual  enjoyment  ?  Now  I  ask  of  you  a  proof  of 
filial  gratitude :  that  you  relinquish  for  me  what  you 
would  gladly  retain  ;  that  you  exchange  your  rest 
for  care  and  perplexity,  your  joyous  prospects  in  the 


394  SERMONS. 

future  for  such  as  are  dark  and  sombre.  I  know 
what  it  costs  you  ;  I  see  and  count  your  tears  ;  but  I 
vex  and  grieve  you  reluctantly  :  will  you  bear  all  this 
to  please  me  ?  It  is  I,  I,  who  demand  it  of  you ! 
Who,  my  hearers,  in  whose  bosom  glows  a  spark  of 
true  gratitude,  does  not  feel  himself  constrained  to 
respond  :  Speak,  Lord,  thy  servant,  thy  handmaid 
obeys  !  Heavenly  Father,  not  my  will,  but  thine  be 
done  !  And  who,  that  thus  thought  and  spoke, 
would  not  in  this  very  disposition  feel  a  counterpoise 
to  his  grief,  and  raise  his  eye  more  serenely  towards 
heaven  with  the  thought,  God  has  done  it  f 

But  that  same  thought  has  in  it  still  another 
source  of  comfort.  No  burden  is  too  heavy  for  us 
if  we  do  not  lack  strength  to  bear  it ;  or  if  we, 
where  our  ability  fails,  can  reckon  on  that  aid  and 
support  which  can  hold  us  up  and  keep  us  from 
succumbing-  Who  can  doubt  that  all  we  need  for 
this  purpose,  even  under  the  severest  sufferings,  is  to 
be  found  in  the  most  abundant  measure  in  God  ?  It 
is  certainly  he  who  gives  power  to  the  faint,  and  to 
them  that  have  no  might  increases  strength.  But 
if  it  is  God  that  lays  the  affliction  upon  us,  God 
who  casts  us  into  grief  and  anxiety,  into  weeping 
and  mourning,  with  how  great  freedom  of  mind  can 
we  then  calculate  on  his  assistance  in  that  need,  and 
cast  all  our  care  on  him,  assured  that  he  will  care 
for  us.  With  him  is  courage  to  endure  the  present ; 
courage  to  meet  the  future.  With  him  the  tran- 
quillity  of  patience  and  submission,  which  causes  the 
storm  of  the  passions  to  subside,  produces  rest  from 
unrest,  and  enables  us  to  appreciate  the  good  with 


SERMONS.  395 

which  every  evil  that  befalls  us  is  tempered.  With 
whom  is  alleviation,  even  of  the  sorest  trial,  save 
with  him,  who  smites,  and  whose  hands  make  whole  ; 
in  whose  hands  are  all  the  vicissitudes  of  the  world, 
and  who  has  so  often  commanded  an  unexpected 
issue  where  only  a  moment  before  all  was  dark  and 
dreary  ?  He  who  in  his  misfortune  overlooks  God, 
may  remain  insensible  to  all  this,  close  his  heart  to 
hope  and  confidence,  indulge  in  weeping  and  lamen- 
tation, and  take  pleasure  in  conjuring  up  ghastly 
images  of  terror ;  wholly  different  is  it  in  the  mind 
in  which  the  conviction  of  the  divine  allotment  is 
prevalent,  and  an  inexhaustible  fountain  of  encour- 
agement and  acquiescence  wells  up  in  it  from  the 
thought,  Crod  has  done  it ! 

And  when  to  all  this  is  united  reflection  on  the 
high  and  adorable  perfections  of  that  Being  who, 
after  having  for  longer  or  shorter  time  exempted  us, 
causes  the  cup  of  trial  also  to  come  to  us :  reflection 
not  only  on  his  unlimited  power,  of  which  the 
ancient  poets  sung :  Our  God  is  in  heaven,  and  he 
doeth  ivhatever  hepleaseth.  He  doeth  according  to  his 
will  with  the  army  of  heaven,  and  with  the  inhabitants 
of  the  earth ;  and  none  can  stay  his  hand,  or  say  unto 
him,  What  doest  thou  ?  but  also  reflection  on  his 
wisdom,  on  his  love,  on  his  interest  in  the  lot  of  his 
creatures,  which  made  the  same  men  of  God  say : 
All  the  paths  of  the  Lord  are  mercy  and  truth  unto 
such  as  keep  his  covenant  and  his  testimonies  ;  then 
we  feel  indeed  the  affliction  that  presses  upon  us, 
but  it  has,  however,  lost  that  tormenting  anguish, 
that  sting  of  intolerable  pain  ;  the  tears  we   shed 


396  SERMONS. 

relieve  the  heart,  and  there  are  also  sweet  drops 
mingled  with  them,  by  means  of  the  thought,  God 
has  done  it !  We  open  the  Word  of  God,  and  we 
find  it  confirmed  by  striking  examples  that  the 
suffering  of  those  who  hold  God  in  remembrance 
contains  in  it  a  hidden  blessing  that  is  often  revealed 
even  on  this  side  the  grave.  We  see  a  whole  book 
devoted  to  a  single  sufferer,  who,  tried  to  the  utmost, 
deprived  of  property,  of  children,  of  all,  sunk  into 
the  deepest  contempt  and  pain,  had  yet  not  ceased 
to  be  an  object  of  the  divine  love  and  care.  When 
all  grows  dark  before  our  eyes,  and  everything 
takes  place  differently  from  what  we  had  supposed 
that  it  would  and  should  occur ;  when  we  should 
imagine  ourselves  the  unhappy  victims  of  those  dark 
and  enigmatical  dispensations ;  what  can  then  be 
better  fitted  to  recover  us  from  that  frightful  whirl- 
pool of  reflections  than  the  thought,  But  God  has 
certainly  done  it,  and  what  he  does  can  surely  not 
be  otherwise  than  well  done  ?  Perhaps  we  shall  yet 
be  permitted  —  who  knows  how  early  or  late  ?  —  to 
penetrate  something  of  his  wise  and  good  designs 
respecting  us  in  this  way.  Now,  indeed,  this  seems 
impossible,  not  to  be  foreseen  ;  but  that  which  is 
impossible  with  men,  how  often  has  that  appeared  to 
be  possible  with  God  ?  As  misfortune  often  befalls 
us  when  we  least  expect  it,  so  matter  of  joy  fre- 
quently surprises  us  when  we  imagined  it  far  off; 
and  though  it  be  not  altogether  as  the  poet  sung ; 
Weeping  lodges  in  the  evening,  and  in  the  morning 
there  is  shouting,  we  yet  feel  refreshed,  enlarged, 
and  the  future  no  longer  seems  to  us  so  dark.     But 


SERMONS.  397 

should  it  be  that  this  did  not  happen  to  us  all  the 
time  of  our  sojourning  here  below,  and  were  only 
days  of  anxiety  and  months  of  vexation  appointed 
us,  yet  the  end  comes  !  If  it  is  true  that  God  has 
done  it,  then  it  must  ultimately  become  clear ;  and 
when  we  shall  have  arrived  there  where  is  the 
fatherland  of  all  who  have  kept  God's  covenant  and 
his  testimonies,  where  all  enigmas  shall  be  cleared 
up,  and  where  all  tears  shall  be  wiped  from  our 
eyes,  then  shall  we  with  joy,  with  praise  and  thanks 
on  our  lips,  looking  back  on  the  way,  watered  with 
tears,  in  which  we  have  been  led,  exclaim,  Yes, 
all  the  paths  of  the  Lord  are  mercy  and  truth  ! 

III.  It  remains  for  me  to  aid  you  in  contemplat- 
ing the  truth  contained  in  our  text  as  a  useful  truth, 
and  to  speak  to  you,  in  conclusion,  on  its  salutary 
influence  on  our  disposition  and  our  walk,  especially 
in  times  of  affliction  and  trial.  In  doing  this,  three 
things  will  claim  our  attention  :  it  fills  us  with  a 
sense  of  our  dependence  ;  it  constrains  us  to  inquire 
into  God's  intentions  respecting  us  ;  and  it  contains 
the  divine  mystery  of  our  education  for  eternity. 
First,  if  we  ever  feel  ourselves  dependent  beings,  it 
is  when  we,  in  all  the  vicissitudes  of  life,  even  in 
those  in  which  our  interest  not  only,  but  also  our 
heart  is  most  tenderly  concerned,  are  constrained 
to  acknowledge,  God  has  done  it.  This  sense  of 
dependence,  salutary  to  mortal  man,  is  often  in  too 
great  danger  of  being  weakened  and  effaced,  when 
everything  turns  out  according  to  his  previous 
calculations  ;  and  the  good  that  is  allotted  him,  or 
the  evil  that  passes  him  by,  seems  only  the  conse- 


398  SERMONS. 

quence  of  his  own  diligence,  forecast,  or  prudence. 
But  when  all  falls  out  otherwise  than  he  had  repre- 
sented to  himself,  and,  with  all  his  skilful  manage- 
ment  and  the  efforts  put  forth,  his  fairest  expecta- 
tions vanish  in  smoke,  then  he  can  no  longer  close 
his  eyes  to  his  own  impotence,  and  the  acknowledg- 
ment, God  has  done  it !  is  at  the  same  time  that  of 
his  entire  dependence.  This  sense  of  dependence 
seems  painful,  and  it  is  so  to  the  proud  man,  who 
would  so  gladly  be  all  to  himself ;  but  it  ceases  to 
be  so  to  him  who  considers  what  a  Being  it  is  to 
whom  he  must  willingly  or  unwillingly  yield  an 
unconditional  submission.  A  Being  who,  with 
unlimited  power,  also  unites  in  himself  unbounded 
wisdom  and  goodness  ;  whose  will,  whether  it  har- 
monize with  his,  or  be  in  conflict  with  it,  must 
necessarily  be  the  best ;  and  on  whom  to  depend  is 
infinitely  more  desirable  than  to  be  left  to  himself. 
Then  his  submission  becomes  filial  and  humble  ; 
then  it  chokes  the  seeds  of  that  pride  which  is  the 
root  of  all  evil ;  then  it  fosters  that  genuine  hu- 
mility, which,  having  the  promise  of  God's  grace, 
is  the  mother  of  the  most  amiable  virtues  ;  then 
distrust  of  self  passes  over  into  reliance  on  God, 
into  cleaving  to  him  as  the  immovable  anchor  that 
fails  us  in  no  storm  of  need  or  peril ;  and  oh,  happy 
he  with  whom  it  may  terminate  in  being  of  one  will 
with  God  !  Blessed  fruit  of  the  lively  sense  of 
dependence  on  God ;  of  the  inward,  hearty  convic- 
tion, in  all  that  befalls  us,  be  it  sweet  or  bitter  :  God 
has  done  it ! 

Secondly,  if  all  changes  of  our  lot,  whether  for 


SERMONS.  399 

good  or  for  evil,  but  especially  those  by  which  we 
are  hurt,  wounded,  and  crushed,  are  the  work  of 
God,  then  the  attainment  of  definite  designs  must 
be  connected  therewith,  or  God's  wisdom  would 
deny  itself,  and  an  irrational  exhibition  of  power 
would  take  its  plaee.  These  designs  may  partly  lie 
beyond  us,  and  have  relation  to  the  general  govern- 
ment of  the  world  ;  but  they  never  go  so  entirely 
beyond  us  but  that  we  are  also  involved  in  them  ; 
and  our  private  interest,  far  from  conflicting  with 
the  general  welfare,  constitutes  a  part  of  it,  and  is 
blended  with  it.  This  may  be  a  mystery  to  human 
penetration  ;  but  the  infinite  elevation  of  God's 
power  and  love  is  our  security  for  it.  These  designs 
of  God  in  his  dispensation  toward  us  we  can 
investigate,  and  in  so  far  as  they  affect  our  real 
welfare  we  can  know  and  penetrate  them.  He  who 
is  not  a  stranger  to  the  history  of  his  own  heart  can 
often  discover  a  connection  between  the  disposition 
of  his  heart  and  the  events  that  he  meets  with 
from  a  higher  hand,  which  makes  him  revere  the 
goings  of  an  adorable  Providence,  or  makes  him 
reflect  with  shame  upon  himself.  How  many  a  one, 
when  the  hand  of  God  rested  heavily  on  him, 
could  perceive  in  it  a  fatherly  chastisement,  to  heal 
him  of  the  perversities  that  clung  to  him,  and  to  set 
his  heart  free  from  favorite  sins.  Another  has  felt 
called  thereby  to  new  and  arduous  duties,  and  with 
redoubled  courage  and  exertion  of  his  powers  to  bear 
the  burden  of  life.  And  do  they  who  are  over- 
whelmed with  care  and  sorrow  of  heart  belong  to 
the  dearest  of  God's  children,  then  the  Most  High 


400  SERMONS. 

esteems  them  worthy  to  put  their  fidelity  and  love 
to  him  on  a  trial,  in  which  it  is  his  will  that  the}7, 
should  not  fail.  Happy  he,  who  not  only  perceives 
and  acknowledges  these  designs  of  God  with  refer- 
ence  to  him,  but  also  by  God's  grace  may  respond 
to  them ;  to  him  suffering  is  ho  longer  suffering,  and 
we  may  address  him  in  the  language  of  the  Apostle : 
Behold,  we  count  them  happy  which  endiwe.  Ye 
have  heard  of  the  patience  of  Job,  and  have  seen  the 
end  of  the  Lord  ;  that  the  Lord  is  very  pitiful,  and 
of  tender  mercy. 

Finally,  the  truth  that  all  our  suffering  and  joy 
are  dispensed  to  us  by  God,  contains  the  secret  of 
our  education  for  eternity.  No,  this  is  not  our 
home  ;  we  are  destined  to  another  than  this  earthly 
life,  for  which  we  must  during  our  stay  here  below 
acquire  the  taste  and  fitness.  For  this  also  God 
will  take  upon  himself  the  care  in  respect  of  all  who 
are  willing  to  surrender  themselves  to  his  guidance. 
This  he  does  not  only  by  the  instruction  of  his  word, 
but  also  by  the  ordering  of  our  lot ;  so  that  we  now, 
overcome  by  his  blessings,  exclaim  :  What  shall  I 
render  unto  the  Lord  ?  I  will  take  the  cup  of  salva- 
tion ;  then,  humbled  by  his  visitations,  say :  It  is 
good  for  me  that  I  have  been  afflicted.  Before  I  was 
afflicted  I  went  astray :  but  noiv  have  I  Jcept  thy  ivord. 
Thus  will  our  heavenly  Father,  both  by  a  feeling  of 
gratitude  and  by  a  sense  of  guilt,  along  the  way  of 
faith  in  the  only  and  all-sufficient  Saviour  of  our 
souls,  conduct  us  to  that  land  of  rest  where  no  care 
shall  any  more  oppress,  no  sorrow  or  complaint  be 


SERMONS.  401 

heard;  and  all  who  have  loved  the  appearing  of 
their  Lord  shall  joyfully  acknowledge  that  all  the 
suffering  of  the  present  time  is  not  to  be  compared 
with  the  glory  that  shall  there  be  revealed  to  them  ! 
Amen. 


THE   END. 


RECOMMENDATIONS 


OF   THE 


LIFE  AND    SERMONS    OF  J.  H.  VAN  DER,  PALM. 


From  Rev.  Thomas  DeWitt,  D.  D.,  Neio  York,  a  distinguished  Dutch  scholar. 
"  There  is  no  name  held  in  high  reputation  more  distinguished  than 
that  of  Van  der  Palm,  in  Holland.  He  was  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
last  century  and  the  early  part  of  this  century,  minister  and  professor 
at  Leyden.  He  has  been  termed  the  Cicero  of  Holland  on  account  of 
his  pulpit  eloquence,  and  the  great  purity  and  finish  of  his  style.  A 
large  number  of  his  sermons  have  been  published,  as  well  as  other 
works  of  a  religious  and  literary  character.  I  have  had  in  my  pos- 
session for  some  time  several  volumes  of  his  sermons,  and  have  read 
them  with  much  interest  and  pleasure.  I  am  gratified  to  find  that  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Westervelt  proposes  to  publish  a  translation  of  a  select 
number  of  his  sermons,  with  a  sketch  of  his  life,  character,  and  writ- 
ings. I  cordially  commend  the  proposed  volume  to  the  patronage  of 
the  Christian  public." 

♦ — 

From  Rev.  Philip  Schaff,  D.  D.,  Editor  of  Lang e^s  Commentary. 
"  From  a  hasty  perusal  of  the  Life  and  Character  of  the  late  cele- 
brated Dutch  divine  and  pulpit  orator,  J.  H.  van  der  Palm,  D.  D.,  by 
Dr.  Beets,  translated  from  the  Dutch,  by  J.  P.  Westervelt,  I  feel  no 
hesitation  to  express  my  concurrence  in  the  testimonies  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
DeWitt,  Rev.  Profs.  H.  B.  Smith,  W.  G.  T.  Shedd,  and  others,  con 
cerning  the  high  value  and  interest  of  this  work." 


From  Rev.  Alexander  T.  McGill,  D.  D.,  Professor  in  the  Princeton  Theologi- 
cal Seminary. 

" The  exposition  of  the  text  is  admirable,  and  would  be  a 

model  of  great  value  against  motto  preaching  in  the  modern  pulpit. 
Criticism,  in  homiletic  discourse,  seems  to  have  reached  its  perfection 
in  Van  der  Palm.  The  result,  and  not  the  process  is  given,  with  rare 
simplicity,  fidelity,  and  beauty.  The  subject  itself  is  exactly  compre 
hended  and  well  stated.    The  division  is  exhaustive,  and,  for  the  mosf 


part,  subservient  to  perfect  unity  of  impression.  The  statement  of  his 
plan  is  equally  removed  from  the  affectation  of  concealment  on  the 
one  hand,  and  logical  parade  upon  the  other.  And  then  the  whole 
discussion  has  almost  everything  to  make  it  a  faultless  model,  —  order, 
variety,  color,  brevity,  and  practical  force. 

"  In  short,  I  do  not  know  where  you  could  find,  either  in  ancient  or 
modern  language,  sermons  not  yet  rendered  in  English  that  would  be 
so  valuable  an  acquisition  as  these,  for  the  purpose  of  educating  our 
pulpit  and  benefiting  our  people." 


From  Rev.  W.  G.  T.  Shedd,  D.  D.,  Professor  in  the   Union  Theological  Semi- 
nary, New  York. 

"  I  have  examined  with  much  interest  the  translation  of  the  Life 
and  Sermons  of  Van  der  Palm,  by  Mr.  Westervelt.  It  is  a  valuable 
contribution  to  literary  biography  and  sacred  rhetoric.  An  account  of 
the  life  and  labors  of  an  eminent  Dutch  preacher  and  professor  has  the 
merit  of  novelty,  and  a  perusal  of  the  manuscript  shows  that  the 
work  possesses  great  intrinsic  excellence.  The  translation  appears  to 
be  done  with  fidelity  and  freshness." 


From  Rev.  Henry  B.  Smith,  D.  D.,  Professor  in  the  Union  Theological  Semi- 
nary, New  York. 

"  Rev.  J.  P.  Westervelt's  translation  of  the  Life  of  Van  der  Palm 
and  of  his  selected  discourses  is  a  valuable  addition  to  our  theological 
literature.  The  biography  is  exceedingly  interesting,  and  gives  new 
information  upon  the  national,  social,  and  academic  history  of  Holland 
during  Van  der  Palm's  career.  The  sermons  of  this  most  eloquent 
of  modern  Dutch  preachers  are  worthy  of  study  as  models  of  an  ele- 
vated style  of  pulpit  discourse." 


From  Hon.  John  Rometn  Brodhead,  LL.  D.,  a  distinguished  Dutch  scholar, 

New  York. 

"  I  have  examined  your  translation  of  the  biography,  and  of  some 
of  the  sermons  of  the  great  Dutch  theologian  and  scholar  Van  der 
Palm,  and  am  impressed  by  its  fidelity  and  its  good  style. 

"It  was  due  to  the  memory  of  a  writer  so  eminent  as  Van  der 
Palm  in  the  modern  literature  of  Holland,  that  his  life  and  his  works 
should  be  better  known  to  many,  who,  if  they  understood  the  lan- 
guage, would,  no  doubt,  more  justly  appreciate  the  scholarship  of  the 
nation  which  founded  New  York. 

"  In  the  belief  that  your  work  will  aid  this  result,  I  offer  you  my 
best  wishes  for  its  success." 


I 

I 

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.«**' 


